WASHINGTON – Commercial hatcheries set 200 million eggs in incubators for the week ending Dec. 28, 2013, and increase of 3 percent from the eggs set during the comparable week a year ago, the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.

Broiler-type chicks placed for meat production climbed 3 percent to 164 million chicks during the week ending Dec. 28. Cumulative placements from Dec. 30, 2012 through Dec. 28, 2013 increased 1 percent to 8.51 million, according to NASS.