Hatcheries getting rid of chicks

[jellybellyx6]

I know that hatchery owners read this so I wanted to just put this out there so they will have the information. The state regulates how many chicks hatcheries can have on their grounds and for how long. This is why most hatcheries must "get rid" of there left over chicks.

Here's my questions: how many of you would order from a hatchery if you knew that they did not kill any chicks?


How many of you don't order from hatcheries for this reason?



If hatcheries could find someone to take the time to grow the birds out and then have them processed and donate them to food pantries would this make you more likely to purchase from them knowing that they not only don't kill chicks but they also donate the chicks that they can't sell for a good cause?

 

[cafarmgirl]

While the idea of the hatcheries growing out their extra birds and then donating them sounds nice consider the expense involved, it doesn't pencil out. The bottom line is that hatcheries are businesses and a business needs to make money to stay in business. That means that not all aspects of what they do are going to be pleasant and not every chick is going to go to a great home. Most of the roosters fit that bill. I wish there were easy answers but there aren't and I sure don't have any easy solutions to it either. Most of the chicks people buy come from hatcheries whether you order yourself or buy at a feed store. Even small breeders have to cull at some point, it's just the way it is.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Agreed. This idea gets floated here a few times a year.

7 Billion chicks, that's what sticks in my mind, are hatched for the layer industry alone. Needless to say, the egg industry has no need for the males of layer birds. Regardless of the precise number, back-yarders and small holders represent a miniscule portion of the future owners of layers and back-yarders have not demonstrated any capacity or even willingness to raise out and butcher 7 billion males of very poor meat quality.

The CX type birds meet the world's needs for chicken meat supplies. These are about all the chicken meat industry will use for economic reasons of the high cost of feed and energy factored in.

It is a pipe dream of monumental proportions to contemplate small holders raising out 7 billion males of layer breeding lines in order to prevent their being "re-cycled",( which is what happens to them). The economics simply are not there and no amount of "wishing it were so" is going to change the scenario I'm afraid.





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[jellybellyx6]

You and I know this I completely understand it. My question is if someone went up to a hatchery and said give me the males I will grow them out myself and pay for the processing myself so that none those chicks have to die. This way the hatchery can truely say the hatchery itself does not kill any of our chicks would you be more likely to buy from that hatchery vs. going to a different hatchery that doesn't even try to get rid of those chicks. I'm speaking in perfect world terms if you will.

 

[maggiemo]

Mount Healthy gives away male chicks http://www.mthealthy.com/store/948458/product/Bonusck
For every 50 chicks you order you can get 25 chicks. I have a friend who has done this several times. She always got dual purpose males, like BR or Australorpe's and is really happy with how it has worked out for her so far.