Hatcheries placed 201 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Nov. 30, down slightly from the same period a week ago, according to the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.
Broiler chicks placed for meat production eased 2 percent to 157 million, NASS reported. Cumulative placements from Dec. 30, 2012 through Nov. 30 climbed 1 percent to 7.85 billion.
