WASHINGTON – Commercial hatcheries set 201 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Aug. 17, 2013, an increase of 5 percent compared to the eggs set the corresponding week in 2012, according to the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.

Broiler-type chicks placed for meat production rose 2 percent to 166 million chicks during the week ending Aug. 17. Cumulative placements from Dec. 30, 2012 through Aug. 17, 2013 climbed 1 percent to 5.45 billion compared to the same period a year ago.