WASHINGTON – During the week ending Sept. 5, broiler growers in the 19-state weekly program placed 167 million chicks for meat production. Placements were down 2% from the comparable week a year earlier, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cumulative placements from Dec. 28, 2008, through Sept. 5, 2009, were 6.05 billion, down 5% from the same period a year earlier.