US December egg production up, chicks hatched down, according to USDA

U.S. egg production was up 1% in December 2010 while egg-type chicks hatched was down 4%, according to the most recent report on chicken and eggs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Egg production reached 7.9 billion, including 6.83 billion table eggs and 1.07 billion hatching eggs, of which 1 billion were broiler-type and 67 million were egg-type. According to the report, the total number of layers during December 2010 averaged 341 million, up 1% from 2009. December egg production per 100 layers was 2,313 eggs, up slightly from December 2009.
Egg-type chicks hatched during December 2010 totaled 37.9 million, down 4% from December 2009. Eggs in incubators totaled 38.7 million on January 1, 2011, down 1% from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 264,000 during December 2010, down 15% from December 2009. Broiler-type chicks hatched totaled 786 million, up 1% from December 2009. Eggs in incubators totaled 635 million on Jan. 1, up slightly from a year earlier.