HDR1012000150060314971500Turkey Hatchery                                        
                                                                                
Released March 14, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service        
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For     
information on "Turkey Hatchery" call James Brewster at (202) 720-8784, office  
hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
           Eggs in Incubators on March 1 Down 3 Percent                         
                                                                                
Turkey eggs in incubators on March 1, 1997, in the United States totaled        
35.0 million, down 3 percent from March 1 a year ago.  Eggs in incubators were  
down 2 percent from the revised February 1 total of 35.8 million.  Regional     
percent changes from the previous year were:  E N Central, up 3; W N Central,   
up 5; N & S Atlantic, down 11; S Central, down 1; and West, down 7.             
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
           Poults Placed During February Down 2 Percent                         
                                                                                
The 27.2 million poults placed during February 1997 in the United States were   
down 2 percent from the placements during the same month a year ago.            
Placements were up slightly from the revised January 1997 total of 27.1         
million.  Regional percent changes from the previous year were:  E N Central,   
up 1; W N Central, up 3; N & S Atlantic, down 6; S Central, up 4; and West,     
down 9.                                                                         
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Notice:  This release includes 1995 and 1996 revisions by Region and U.S.       
                                                                                
                                                                                
Pou 3 (3-97)                                                                    
                                                                                
             Turkey Hatchery Production:  Monthly Poult Placements,             
                            United States, 1995-97 1/                           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :      Total All      : Percent :      Cumulative       :    Percent    
        :       Breeds        :   of    :         Total         :      of       
  Month :---------------------:Previous :-----------------------:   Previous    
        :  1995-96  : 1996-97 :  Year   :  1995-96  :  1996-97  :     Year      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :  ------ 1,000 -----   Percent    ------ 1,000 ------       Percent    
        :                                                                       
Sep     :   23,371    *24,154     103       23,371      24,154         103      
Oct     :   25,158     25,354     101       48,529      49,508         102      
Nov     :   24,619     23,830      97       73,148      73,338         100      
Dec     :   25,269     27,119     107       98,417     100,457         102      
Jan     :   27,391     27,130      99      125,808     127,587         101      
Feb     :   27,596     27,152      98      153,404     154,739         101      
Mar     :   27,932                         181,336                              
Apr     :   29,725                         211,061                              
May     :   29,668                         240,729                              
Jun     :   27,987                         268,716                              
Jul     :   28,913                         297,629                              
Aug     :  *27,496                         325,125                              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes exported poults.                                                   
                                                                                
                  Eggs in Incubators:  First of Month by Region                 
                 and United States, March 1997 with Comparisons                 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :          :          :          :  Percent of  :   Percent of   
   Geographic  :  Mar 1   :  Feb 1   :  Mar 1   :   Previous   :    Previous    
    Division   :   1996   :   1997   :   1997   :     Year     :     Month      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                                                                
               : ----------- 1,000 -----------        ----- Percent -----       
               :                                                                
E N Central    :   4,875      4,970      5,016        103             101       
W N Central    :  10,081     10,856     10,569        105              97       
N & S Atlantic :  13,162    *11,944     11,717         89              98       
S Central      :   4,006     *4,296      3,975         99              93       
West           :   4,056      3,736      3,763         93             101       
               :                                                                
US             :  36,180    *35,802     35,040         97              98       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Revised.                                                                      
                                                                                
          Poults Placements:  Entire Month by Region and United States,         
                        February 1997 with Comparisons 1/                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :          :          :          :  Percent of  :   Percent of   
   Geographic  :   Feb    :   Jan    :   Feb    :   Previous   :    Previous    
    Division   :   1996   :   1997   :   1997   :     Year     :     Month      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               : ----------- 1,000 -----------        ----- Percent -----       
               :                                                                
E N Central    :   3,641      3,815      3,661        101              96       
W N Central    :   7,802      7,586      8,025        103             106       
N & S Atlantic :   9,668      9,690      9,135         94              94       
S Central      :   3,380      3,310      3,520        104             106       
West           :   3,105      2,729      2,811         91             103       
               :                                                                
US             :  27,596     27,130     27,152         98             100       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
1/  Regional placements refer to poults placed from hatcheries located in that  
    region, and not the actual location of the birds after placement.           
                     Turkey Hatchery Production                                 
                       1995 and Revised 1996                                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :      United States      :  East  :  West   :North & :        :       
         :-------------------------: North  :  North  : South  : South  : West  
  Month  :       :        :1996 As :Central : Central :Atlantic:Central :       
         : 1995  :  1996  :Percent :--------------------------------------------
         :       :        :Of 1995 :                    1996                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :---- 1,000 ----  Percent   ------------------ 1,000 ----------------- 
         :                                                                      
         :                  Eggs in Incubators, First of Month                  
         :                                                                      
All      :                                                                      
Breeds   :                                                                      
Jan      : 34,881  35,618    102      5,055    9,597    13,399    3,897   3,670 
Feb      : 35,095  36,343    104      5,225   10,166    12,651    4,276   4,025 
Mar      : 35,172  36,180    103      4,875   10,081    13,162    4,006   4,056 
Apr      : 36,890  39,218    106      5,242   11,738    13,852    4,061   4,325 
May      : 37,323 *37,915    102      5,235  *11,015    13,332    4,208   4,125 
Jun      : 38,399  38,128     99      5,134   10,908    13,434    4,182   4,470 
Jul      : 39,010  37,685     97      5,043   10,907    13,103    4,034   4,598 
Aug      : 35,561  36,157    102      5,059    9,883    12,937    4,066   4,212 
Sep      : 31,589 *32,048    101      4,920    8,421   *11,984    3,708   3,015 
Oct      : 32,409 *32,333    100      5,008    8,335   *12,304    3,969   2,717 
Nov      : 31,962  31,668     99      4,854    8,664    11,199    4,190   2,761 
Dec      : 31,769 *33,667    106      4,710    9,784   *12,233    4,066   2,874 
         :                                                                      
         :                           Poults Placed 1/                           
         :                                                                      
All      :                                                                      
Breeds   :                                                                      
Jan      : 27,024  27,391    101      3,651    7,375    10,143    3,281   2,941 
Feb      : 25,907  27,596    107      3,641    7,802     9,668    3,380   3,105 
Mar      : 28,530  27,932     98      3,684    7,590    10,427    3,160   3,071 
Apr      : 26,736  29,725    111      3,869    8,800    10,506    3,228   3,322 
May      : 29,497  29,668    101      3,814    8,460    10,621    3,428   3,345 
Jun      : 29,965  27,987     93      3,468    7,760    10,296    3,211   3,252 
Jul      : 28,983  28,913    100      3,850    8,121    10,065    3,242   3,635 
Aug      : 26,592 *27,496    103      3,893    7,375    *9,838    3,281   3,109 
Sep      : 23,371 *24,154    103      3,348    6,128    *9,542    2,763   2,373 
Oct      : 25,158  25,354    101      3,667    6,382     9,908    3,230   2,167 
Nov      : 24,619  23,830     97      3,164    6,212     8,878    3,398   2,178 
Dec      : 25,269  27,119    107      3,563    7,765    10,202    3,330   2,259 
         :                                                                      
Total    :321,651 327,165    102     43,612   89,770   120,094   38,932  34,757 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised                                                                     
1/  Regional placements refer to poults placed from hatcheries located in that  
    region, and not the actual location of the birds after placement.  Excludes 
    exported poults.                                                            
                                                                                
                                                                                
    Regional Listing:                                                           
                                                                                
     North Atlantic  = CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.                      
     E North Central = IL, IN, MI, OH, WI.                                      
     W North Central = IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD.                              
     South Atlantic  = DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV.                          
     South Central   = AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX.                          
     West            = AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY.      
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                     Turkey Hatchery Estimates                                  
                                                                                
Data Sources: Primary data for the "Turkey Hatchery" report are collected from  
              weekly and/or monthly questionnaires sent to turkey hatcheries    
in 22 States.  An attempt is made to collect hatchery information from all      
known hatcheries in these 22 monthly States.  Approximately 65 hatcheries are   
contacted each month.                                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
Revisions: Revisions are generally the result of late or corrected data and     
           are usually less than 1 percent at the U.S. level.  Revisions to     
the previous month are published in the monthly "Turkey Hatchery" report,       
while annual revisions are published in the "Hatchery Production - Annual       
Summary" report at the end of the marketing year.  The annual report also       
includes data for six States which report on an annual basis only.              
                                                                                
                                                                                
Procedures and Reliability:  Hatcheries are mailed a questionnaire and given    
                             adequate time to respond by mail.  Those that do   
not respond by mail are called by phone.  Diligent effort is made to ensure     
that all hatcheries are accounted for in the estimate.  An allowance is made    
for all non-reporting hatcheries.                                               
                                                                                
Accumulated poult placements beginning on September 1 and ending on August 31   
are shown in the monthly "Turkey Hatchery" report.  This time period            
corresponds with the placements of poults which will reach maturity and be      
available for slaughter during the calendar year.  Only regional and U.S.       
level estimates are published due to the limited number of hatcheries           
involved.  Regional placement data in the report refer to placement of poults   
from hatcheries located in that region, not the actual location of the birds    
after placement.  Poults exported out of the U.S. and poults imported from      
outside of the U.S. are not included in the report.                             
                                                                                
Turkey hatchery estimates are based on a census of operating hatcheries and,    
therefore, have no sampling error.  However, they may be subject to errors      
such as omission, duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and        
processing the data.  These errors are minimized through strict quality         
controls in the edit and summarization process, and a careful review of all     
reported data for consistency and reasonableness.                               
                                                                                
States in the monthly estimating program are:  Arkansas, California, Colorado,  
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New        
Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South    
Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
The next "Turkey Hatchery" report will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET on           
April 15, 1997.                                                                 
                                                                                
                                                                                
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disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program         
information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA     
Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 (TDD).     
                                                                                
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington,      
D.C., 20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD).  USDA is   
an equal employment opportunity employer.                                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
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