Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 11/21/13

Commercial hatcheries set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ended Nov. 16, up 2 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.

Broiler growers placed 161 million chicks for meat production during the week, up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from December 30, 2012, through Nov. 16, 2013, were 7.54 billion, up 1 percent from the same period a year earlier.

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