WASHINGTON – Egg sets at hatcheries in the 19 state weekly program increased 1 percent for the week ending March 8, the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported. Hatcheries set 201 million eggs in incubators for the week, according to NASS. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 83 percent.

Broiler growers in the 19 state weekly program placed 163 million chicks for meat production, a decline of 1 percent compared to a year ago, NASS noted. Cumulative placements totaled 1.69 billion from Dec. 29, 2013 to March 8, a slight increase over the comparable year-ago period.