WASHINGTON – Commercial hatcheries set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 23, 2013, up 2 percent from the eggs set the comparable week a year ago, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.

Broiler-type chicks placed declined slightly to 164 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 23. Placements were down slightly from the comparable week in 2012. Cumulative placements from Dec. 30, 2012 through March 23 climbed 1 percent to 1.96 billion, according to NASS.