Ideal Poultry: A look inside the hatchery!

[EweSheep]

MSFarmboy, thank you for your candid outlook on the hatchery and how they work with the poultry breeders.

 

[al6517]

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Ridgerunner, they're not supposed to.

Years ago we had a large multi-breed farm in Missouri and was one of the breeders that supplied eggs to one of the local hatcheries. I'm not naming names and it was many years ago, so their business practices might have changed in that time.
We had to be NPIP and I think alot of the breeders were supplied their chicks (Which eventually became their breeding stock) originally by the hatchery they sold eggs to, we didn't as we already had large established flocks, but I think the hatchery did sorta start some of the farms. I know we were called a few times over the years asking if we would be interested in raising X breed for them.
We had to sign an agreement to keep our flocks pure, keep our NPIP current, sell our eggs ONLY to this hatchery, and follow "Industry standards" of husbandry. We delevered our eggs to the hatchery once a week, they had to be marked on the trays as to breed, variety and date eggs were collected. Other's might have been different, but they bought all we delivered. I'm sure there were those who sold outside their contract, but the hatchery we dealt with had a rule of all breeders they bought eggs from had to be within I think it was 60 miles of the hatchery.
We originally started out raising to hatch ourselves and sold our chicks and started birds at auctions, flea markets, livestock clubs and shows, etc... Raising eggs for the hatchery was a sideline business that just got bigger and bigger.

I know Ideal has some at least of their own breeding stock because they have a breeding farm about 7 or 8 miles from the hatchery. Huge operation! The hatchery I dealt with raised like 5 breeds, the rest were raised for them by small breeders and farms.

I've often wondered if thing were still ran that way.

BTW, we raised chickens back then, not show stock, not breeder quality and definatly not up to SOP. That was never a goal. The goal was to sell eggs, and lots of them! I did have breeds I had my own little breeding strains going just for myself. I didn't show, but lots of folks did that I sold these "Special" birds to, and several won ribbons, trophies, etc... When I had extra eggs, they went in the trays with the rest of the eggs from the run of the mill breeders of the same breeds. When I see that someone won something with hatchery birds, I can't help but wonder if the egg sellers today do the same thing.

You have to remember also, this was before computers, the internet, etc.. Selling hatching eggs to the average person wasn't much of an option back then.

Great info...................... this is what most of us who aren't hatchery slaves have thought for years, I for one thank you for posting it. It seems a very acceptable practice and good business sense to operate like this for the none knowing I don't care what I get public. I like the term mill breeder as it also accurately discribes what they do and I wonder if all the folks who say they care about the way their poultry is raised will pay much attention to that aspect of it.

Their is a thread named .............. what's the difference between Hatchery's and breeders, you should paste this post their as well.

AL

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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A farm as large as theirs would have to pen mate. Probably at least 4-5 males to 25+ hens. Granted most of their stock is several generations removed from SOP quality, but I know for a fact many of their rare varieties were SOP quality when they acquired them. They also carefully consider their breeders. Even a SQ flock can't hatch 100% show quality. Place a top male with some of their females in some breeds and in a couple of generations you can have some good quality birds. have not seen all of their stock, but have seen some. Our Brown Chinese young pair won Best of Breed several times. At the APA National we placed 1st on young gander and young goose. A Buff young Duck took first as well at Shawnee. We traded the geese and culled our ducks down to only 5 hens. We have also got some younger ducks last fall from Metzer. Our male took BB at Little Rock and 1st Old drake at Shawnee.

To say all of their stock is far from good is not accurate. Yes, they hatch volume and we get what we get. But that is just what we do with our own. Hatch a lot and cull heavy. If all some can afford is from Ideal, at least it is a start. I am trying to help my 4Hers to get quality from breeders. I send a lot of folks to Roy Autry at http://www.affgoats.com/home.html Roy has some of the best show quality breeds around. His Orpingtons have only been beat by Terry Britt.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Ya'll are welcome. Like I said though, I haven't sold to hatcheries in many years, they might be different now. To answer another post, the breeding pens we had were flocks of around 50 hens and about a dozen roosters. I also know that hatcheries buy out quality breeders sometimes for their own flocks. It's a matter of culling, show breeders cull heavily, hatcheries can't afford to do that. I know Ideal has bought some great flocks over the years. I remember reading and hearing about it at the time.

Unlike most people, I don't knock hatcheries. I think they provide a very needed and valueable service to most Americans. 99% of people are exactly the way I was only a few years ago and wouldn't know a true great example of a SOP bird if it ran up and pecked them on the leg... and wouldn't care if they did. If you are looking for fast growing, high production egg laying breed that can be delevered at a specified time, sexed and delevered to you local post office for very little money or risk, looks cute and pretty much looks like what it's supposed to be... then order from a hatchery by all means.

Of course if you want to spend LOTS more money, with more risk shipping fewer birds or even gambling with shipped hatching eggs, get on a waiting list for sometimes several months or maybe a year, and plan on spending years studying, learning, researching and working on improving and showing your stock... then find the best breeder you can and avoid the hatcheries.

I'm one of those rare critters that can see the good in both sides.

AL, I don't know how to do the posting on the other thread thing you mentioned, I'm a computer idiot. But feel free to do it if you can and want to. It would even be fine if you corrected my spelling and grammer to where I don't sound like the uneducated hill-billy I am.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Jim made my point very well while I was hunt-and-peck typing.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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I hunt and peck real fast! Thankfully my wife showed me spell check. We have a Google toolbar with Spell Check catches most words.

Where is Glen MS from Greenville MS again?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
I hunt and peck real fast! Thankfully my wife showed me spell check. We have a Google toolbar with Spell Check catches most words.

Where is Glen MS from Greenville MS again?

I know Greenville's way down south somewhere.

Glen is in the very north-east corner of the state. We are about 20 miles west of the Alabama line and maybe 15 miles south of the Tennessee line.

My computer is old and I can't run any of the newer do-hickies with spell check. I've tried to have the newer operating system thinggys put on here and had to take them back off because nothing would work right. Maybe by this summer I'll be able to afford a newer one. I bought this one used around 8 years ago. My kids rolled their eyes and said it was a dinosuar then. I'm also dyslexic so sometimes things look great when I type it, then I see it the next day and think "What the heck does that say".

Then I realize it was MY post.

I also have really big hands and a tiny little keyboard. I need some hands like that guy on the Hardees commercials.

Or a great big keyboard.

 

[al6517]

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No problem will do and I can check it for spelling but I ain't a rocket scientist either LOL. Thanks again.

AL

 

[WyandotteTX]

I would agree with Jim and Farmboy. I have bought hatchery birds in the past and obtained good birds in the process. Are you going to get championship bird from every chick? no...but are you going to do that with "expensive" stock from a specialty breeder? no....
So I guess its just how you want to approach it. From living in the area for 7 years and knowing friends of friends of the owners, I always heard good things about the family. I think they try to do alot for the community since they are one of the largest employers in the area as well. Their offices are right there on the square in downtown Cameron. Would see it everytime I had to go for jury duty.
We lost to the Cameron Yoemen in the State Semi-Finals this past December as well......man they were big and fast...

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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I think some put too much attention on breeders. I have seen many breeders that sold culls that were worse than any hatchery birds. I have seen some "breeders" post photos of birds that were no where near the SOP.