WASHINGTON – During the week ending April 2, commercial hatcheries in the 19 state weekly program set 208 million eggs in incubators. This was up 2% from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, US Department of Agriculture. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84%.

Broiler growers in the program placed 173 million chicks for meat production during the same week. Placements were up 2% from the comparable week one year earlier. Cumulative placements from Jan. 2 through April 2 were up 1% from the same period a year earlier, totaling 2.20 billion.