US broiler egg sets and chick placements decline weekly

Recent USDA data indicates a weekly decline in broiler-type egg sets and chick placements. Approximately 248.953 million broiler-type eggs were set into incubation, a decrease of 1.672 million from the previous week. This decline is attributed in part to high temperatures in certain regions affecting productivity, though egg sets remain 1% higher than the previous year due to an increased number of laying hens.

Chick placements for meat production totaled 193.442 million, down 805,000 from the prior week. Despite this weekly dip, cumulative 2026 placements are currently 2% ahead of 2025 levels.

In the poultry industry, analyzing the relationship between hatchery egg sets and broiler market prices can provide insights into future production and flock placement scheduling. Because over 95% of U.S. broilers are produced under coordinated marketing systems with long-term contracts, supply chains remain relatively stable despite short-term market fluctuations.