US commercial hatcheries set 202 million eggs in incubators during the week ending July 13, 2013, a 3 percent increase from eggs set in the comparable year-ago period, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Average hatchability of chicks for the week was 84 percent.
Broiler-type chickens placed for meat production during the week ending July 13 gained 2 percent to total 167 million chickens, NASS reported. Cumulative placements from Dec. 30, 2012 through July 13 were 4.62 billion, a slight increase from the same period a year ago.
