BROILER CHICKS HATCHED BY COMMERCIAL HATCHERIES, 1995-1999

	Jan	 Feb	 Mar	 Apr	 May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	 Total 
 						 -thousands-			

1995	23,850	21,952	24,360	23,789	24,350	23,774	24,231	23,920	22,679	23,196	21,859	24,456	282,416
1996	23,864	22,395	24,387	23,001	23,280	22,750	23,077	23,859	22,808	22,238	21,259	23,936	276,854
1997	23,807	21,309	24,261	23,831	24,700	23,443	24,224	23,841	23,061	23,113	21,706	23,496	280,792
1998	23,454	21,063	24,366	23,737	24,826	23,729	24,245	24,228	22,691	22,295	21,520	23,822	279,976
1999	23,788	21,611	24,826	23,845	24,992	24,016	24,502	24,400	22,775	21,568	21,718	23,420	281,461


                        POULTRY AND EGGS GROSS INCOME, 1995-1999

  		Broilers	 Eggs	 Turkeys	 Other Poultry	 Total

					-thousand dollars-					
1995		400,828		68,166	 207,270	   27,192	703,456
1996		466,388		71,558	 221,063	   28,254	787,263
1997		445,008		63,876	 196,716	   29,224	734,824
1998		486,563		66,865	 207,870	   29,444	790,742
1999		473,976		62,319	 220,752	   29,778	786,825


                 LAYER NUMBERS, EGG PRODUCTION, AND VALUE, 1995-1999 1/
			UNIT		1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	

Average No. Layers	thousand	3,821	 3,895	 3,483	 3,647	 3,608	
Eggs per Layer 2/	number 		  240	   242	   231	   236	   234
Total Eggs Produced	million		  916	   888	   806	   860	   845
Inventory: Dec. 1  3/				
Hens, Pullets of
 Laying Age		thousands	3,817	 3,522	 3,463	 3,745	 3,415
Pullets between
13 and 20 weeks		thousands	   544	   582	   582	   672	   681
Pullets under 13 weeks  thousands	   732	   314	   428	   549	   298
Other Chickens		thousands 	   292	   230	   187	   177	   247
Total Chickens		thousands	 5,385	 4,648	 4,660	 5,143	 4,641
Average value per head	  dollars	  4.50	  4.70	  4.80	  4.80	  4.60
Total Value 	  housand dollars	24,233	21,846	22,368	24,686	21,349	 

1/ Annual estimates cover the period Dec. 1, previous year thru Nov. 30.
2/ Total egg production divided by average number of layers on hand.
3/ Excludes commercial broilers.