WASHINGTON – Commercial hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 207 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Aug. 21, which is up 3% from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84%.

Broiler growers in the 19 state weekly program placed 171 million chicks for meat production during the week ending Aug. 21. Placements were up 3% from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from Jan. 3 through August 21 were 5.62 billion, up 1% from the same period a year earlier.