WASHINGTON – Broiler-type chicks hatched during February 2013 slipped 2 percent to 690 million compared to February 2012, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Eggs in incubators totaled 622 million, a gain of 2 percent, on March 1, 2013. Leading breeders placed 7.16 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during February 2013, up 2 percent from February 2012.

February egg production declined 1 percent to 7.19 billion during February 2013. Production included 6.23 billion table eggs, and 962 million hatching eggs, of which 893 million were broiler-type and 69 million were egg-type, NASS reported. The total number of layers during February 2013 rose 2 percent to an average of 344 million. February egg production per 100 layers declined 2 percent to 2,088 eggs compared to February 2012, according to NASS.

All layers on March 1, 2013 totaled 345 million, up 2 percent from 2012. The 345 million layers consisted of 291 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 51.7 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.98 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. The daily rate of lay on March 1, 2013, averaged 74.3 eggs per 100 layers, up slightly from March 1, 2012.

Egg-type chicks hatched climbed 4 percent during February 2013 to 40.8 million. Eggs in incubators totaled 41.8 million on March 1, 2013, up 6 percent compared to a year ago.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks totaled 236,000 during February 2013, down 1 percent from February 2012.