Where do hatcheries get their chicks?

[BairleaFarm]

Will hatchery's give out the phone number to their breeders?

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Why because youve seen so many bad hatchery's? Ive been to 3 mass producers in my area. 2 free ranged birds the other was less than my standards but still not what i would consider cruel.

Bairlea, if they free range their birds might I ask how they keep the birds from interbreeding? Do they only have one breed per yard or?


Just curious as I read they free range.

God bless,
Daniel.

 

[stephanie1992]

Quote:
i dout it but idk

 

[stephanie1992]

Quote:
Why because youve seen so many bad hatchery's? Ive been to 3 mass producers in my area. 2 free ranged birds the other was less than my standards but still not what i would consider cruel.

Bairlea, if they free range their birds might I ask how they keep the birds from interbreeding? Do they only have one breed per yard or?


Just curious as I read they free range.

God bless,
Daniel.

the guy i know that breeds them are not free range. but i wonder about the free range breeders to. do they only have one breed? and if they have more than one breed..how do they stop differnt breeds from breeding with one another

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
Why because youve seen so many bad hatchery's? Ive been to 3 mass producers in my area. 2 free ranged birds the other was less than my standards but still not what i would consider cruel.

No, I haven't, that's why I asked in the first place. But I know enough about commercial animal production enough to question the process. People have different standards on what they consider "cruel".

 

[BairleaFarm]

They only had one breed. I love my mixed flock but its a pretty sight seeing 100s of the same breed out roaming around.

 

[DTchickens]

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Interesting, nice info to know. I imagine it is a good sight indeed. Do you happen to know what route Ideal takes? I.E. Drop ship, breeders separated/free range? I believe Ideal has their own breeder birds.

God bless,
Daniel.

 

[deerman]

Place like these



http://www.choretimeegg.com/uploads/videos/Chore_Time_Aviary1005_24.wmv

 

[BairleaFarm]

Im not sure.


I think the people who live close to these hatcherys should go investigate. See if they can see the farms where the eggs are coming from. Field Trip

 

[partsRheavy]

I've driven by Ideal's HQ in Cameron TX. They have an old traditional downtown building that is very close to a post office in a small town. (1 block away). The chicks' in the mail!! But, there were a number of vacant storefronts in that downtown so the economy wasn't totally booming there.

The facility, except for the receptionist/front office is signed for biosecurity and therefore not open to the public. They sell waterers, feeders, and leg bands at the office. The former presidents have their pics in the office. Even though it's a large hatchery you can tell that overall Ideal falls under the "small business" category. There's only room for 1 receptionist. It's hardly a multinational corporation....there just aren't enough chicken lovers out there these days. (On another note I recently saw a 1932 picture of a rather large coop at a major hotel right downtown in Jefferson TX. The coop is long gone of course as hotel breakfast eggs were outsourced to commercial producers in the 1940s or so).

I saw commercial layer or broiler houses a few miles away from Ideal's facility but I think perhaps Ideal supplies chicks TO them rather than the other way around. I didn't visit any farms, as I didn't see signs that would indicate backyard producers/eggs for sale etc.