WASHINGTON — During the week ending May 22, commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 211 million eggs in incubators. This was up 3% from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84%.


Broiler growers placed 171 million chicks for meat production during the week ending May 22. Placements were up 2% from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from Jan. 3 through May 22 were 3.37 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier.