Oh my, have you seen this? How it's made - Hatchery chicks

[kriswester]

OMG! That was just horrendous to watch! I'm a first time chick mama and I'm soooo careful about just picking them up to check their little bums! I can't believe that they throw them,run them thru conveyer belts, poke holes in the shells,etc. I'm gonna have nightmares now.

 

[Rufflemyfeathers]

Wow they are handled rough..did learn how to sex chicks though by there wings..

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I felt bad for the little chicks in that episode, too. It's even more sad, thinking about the lives they're going to live. I think those are the chicks going to the big commercial operations. Just lots and lots of the same chicks, so it's more automated.

The hatcheries most people are getting their chicks from have a lot more people involved. They're hatching all different breeds and putting together a lot of different breeds in one box. People do that work.

I think I've seen a couple of different shows on hatcheries, besides this one. I think there was a Dirty Jobs show on vent sexing where the people really tossed those chicks around. I saw another one, I think it was at MM, but I don't remember which series it was. They handled the chicks a little better than that in the packing areas, at least.

And we wonder why they're afraid of hands, when we get them...

 

[AHappychick]

wow that was amazing in a way, the whole set up and how it works and the fact that the chicks survive it all. It was sad yet cute to see them travel around like that. I wish there was a way to still be as efficient while being gentler, then again they do survive it so I guess they know what they are doing and the threshold the chicks can withstand. It goes without saying these chicks are obviously the strongest to make it though all that, and I did not notice any dead ones either although I am sure there are some.

I on the other hand hold them like fine china lol

cool to see how to sex them, gonna try that later.

 

[briana1975]

No wonder chicks are so stressed when you get them.

 

[warmfuzzies]

I think they can only sex Sex links like that cant they? They Sex Link them for feather growth- rate. I am not sure, but I thought you could only vent sex most kinds.

 

[asher]

It is simply amazing that chicks make it through that, then in the mail to us and are just fine!

I don't think I'll ever order chicks from a hatchery again after seeing this, though.

 

[your_pal_skip]

Just out of curiosity, how exactly did anybody expect hundreds of chicks to be processed fast enough to get them in the mail and to your house within three days? The amount of people you would need to hire to do this would be exorbitantly expensive, and that would be passed on in the price of the chicks. At least the machines are consistent and never have a bad or clumsy day. The company's bottom line depends on ensuring that the chicks do not actually suffer or die.

To be clear, I don't actually like industrial agriculture, and the reason I have chickens is so I never have pay for battery eggs ever again. I just don't think that filling orders larger than a couple dozen chicks can be done safely and quickly without some kind of assembly line.

 

[DonnaBelle]

That was a very interesting video, I am getting my chicks March 11 from Ideal Hatchery via the local feed store.

I was almost this excited before my kids were born. HA.

I will post pics when they get here!!!

Thanks again for the video, this is the best web site, my husband says I am chicken obsessed.

Donna Belle:

 

[asher]

Quote:
If you weren't before, you will be now!

It's very contagious!!!