Broiler Pullet Chick Placements for Hatchery Supply Flocks in March 2013 Decreased 6 Percent from a Year Earlier

On April 26, 2013, in Broiler Pullet Chick Placements, by Debra Newman

Intended U.S. placements of broiler pullet chicks for the hatchery supply flock for March 2013 were 6,325,000,  a 6-percent  decrease from the 6,753,000 pullet chicks placed in March 2012, according to the “Chickens and Eggs” report issued this week by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The March 2013 pullet chicks combined with the previous eight months gives a 7-to-15-month cumulative total of 59,579,000 hens in October 2013. The 59,579,000-cumulative-potential-pullet placements represent a 1-percent decrease when compared with the number for October 2012.

U.S. Broiler-Type Hatchery Supply Flock Pullet Chicks Hatched and Cumulative Potential Placements
Pullet Chicks Hatched Potential Placements, Cumulative 7-15 months earlier
2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
–000– -%-* –000– -%- –000– -%- –000– -%-* –000– -%-* -000- -%-
January 6,557 99 6,673 102 6,303 94 62,996 100 64,111 102 60,874 95
February 7,284 104 7,025 96 7,156 102 63,283 102 63,679 101 60,656 95
March 7,058 106 6,753 96 6,325 94 63,250 102 63,323 100 60,104  95
April 7,044 103 6,524 93 63,751 102 63,209 99 61,344 97
May 7,721 92 7,472 97 63,990 103 62,941 98 60,934 97
June 7,211 101 6,800 94 64,558 104 62,557 97 60,676 97
July 6,444 97 6,071 94 64,656 104 61,937 96 60,591 98
August 7,233 99 7,338 101 64,388 104 61,566 96  60,370 98
September 6,657 93  6,686 100 63,321 103 60,870 96 60,054 99
October 6,289 91 6,265 99 63,251 103 60,412 95  59,579 99
November 6,890 91 6,767 98 63,620 103 60,492 95
December 6,438 95 6,668 103 64,028 102 60,731 95
Annual Total 82,826 98 81,042 98 **63,757 103 **62,144 97
Source: Chickens and Eggs NASS/USDA * Comparison with one year earlier. ** Annual Average

Note: All generations of layers that would lay eggs to supply a hatchery are included: parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, pedigree, foundation, and similar. Any pullet chicks used for research purposes, vaccine production, and specific-pathogen-free layers that are in broiler-type hatchery supply flocks are also included in the data.

Also, in the current issue of “Chickens and Eggs,” NASS reported that the actual number of layers in the broiler-type hatching egg flock on April 1, 2013 was 53,049,000 hens, a 2-percent increase from 52,037,000 hens on April 1, 2012.

 



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