Where do hatcheries get their chicks?

[PortageGirl]

Meyers have a video on their web site showing how they hatch them, I have been past there and they have some big barns/sheds where they do keep a few breeds, but they also get their eggs from outside sources, the eggs come in and get set up for their incubators, then they hatch them themselves. They're pretty forthcoming if you call them. I've dealt with them a lot over the years and find them a reliable company, I think they'd answer any questions you have. You used to be able to go in for a tour, but not for some years since they tightened their bio-security.

 

[wbruder17]

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Works fine when I click on it. Its a Youtube of an undercover person videoing the conditions as Hy- something hatchery an d its sickening.

 

[hemet dennis]

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Works fine when I click on it. Its a Youtube of an undercover person videoing the conditions as Hy- something hatchery an d its sickening.

Didn't work for me

 

[hemet dennis]

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Works fine when I click on it. Its a Youtube of an undercover person videoing the conditions as Hy- something hatchery an d its sickening.

Didn't work for me

Is it this one ?

 

[slim1986]

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Didn't work for me

Is it this one ?

That Shi- uh I mean Crap is messed up!!!!!! My mom-in-law told me horror stories about when she worked at a place like that, her and my dad-in-law were pretty high up, but still peons, anyway she would box up a few males a week and the sickly looking girls and bring them home and nurse back to health and let them live normal lives! A little off topic, but I worked in a chicken plant for awhile, it wasn't so bad, it was already sliced~n~diced by the time I did anything with the meat. Until one day, they sent me to "live hang" which I'll let you look up on youtube as well.... I did that for a day because I was already at work, but was a "no call no show" shortly after, I just couldn't do it anymore after actually seeing what the birds go through, if anyone does look it (chicken plant live hang) up on youtube, be warned, its very graphic, and I saw that and more in person! On a lighter note, I thought that feller in the video was gonna saw "adopt a chicken" at the end of the video, but alas, he wanted us to go vegg-O!

nothing against 'em, but I would rather raise my own egg layers and meat birds than give up eating meat and eggs! Just sayin'

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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Meyer hatchery doesn't have free-range birds, where'd you hear that? If you free-range birds then you can only have one breed without them mixing. Meyer had many breeds.

Well to free range they only have to allow X amount of outside space per-bird, so its possible that they do "free range" like "free range" eggs or "free range" chicken bought from the store, its not a happy chicken running free in a field, its a commercial chicken house with a big run..... The runs don't even have to have grass, or even dirt, it can be a cement lot.

To those on this forum though, that doesn't really mean free-ranged

 

[slim1986]

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Well to free range they only have to allow X amount of outside space per-bird, so its possible that they do "free range" like "free range" eggs or "free range" chicken bought from the store, its not a happy chicken running free in a field, its a commercial chicken house with a big run..... The runs don't even have to have grass, or even dirt, it can be a cement lot.

To those on this forum though, that doesn't really mean free-ranged

I know, but "legally" according to the "official" officials who oversee that stuff it counts, that's all I was sayin, not agreeing with their idea of what "free range" means, just stating that legally it counts

 

[EweSheep]

To answer to OP's questions, the hatcheries like Meyer and MPC get them from breeders. I know Gabbard is for one of those breeders.

When a breeder decided to sell his hatching eggs and chicks on the hatchery's orders, they are hard up for money or their stock are less than par than the breeder's/exhibition birds. I don't blame the breeders going hatchery to support their chickens during this hard times or loss of business in the private sector (ie. breed is not popular anymore).

McMurray, Welp and all the others do have contract with farmer or chicken breeders. They buy their eggs cheaply in order to cover the overhead costs of incubation, staff and set up and possible infertile eggs to make up the differences.

If you want the best, go look for breeders and they are bit expensive.
If you want eye candies, a variety of colors of eggs, color of plumage are imperfects/flaws/faults or non SOP, higher egg production, then hatcheries can fit the bill.

 

[DTchickens]

I emailed Ideal about whether they free range or not, plus another question (though the answer subtracted from their reply). This is the reply.

"Daniel –

Our birds are housed which is a requirement by NPIP for our farm. We have all breeds minus the turkeys and game birds on our breeding farm. Thank you.

Ross Windham
Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms Inc.
1-800-243-3257
254-697-2393 FAX
www.idealpoultry.com"

God bless,
Daniel.

 

[wbruder17]

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Didn't work for me

Is it this one ?

That's the one! I forced myself to watch it just to educate myself about possibilities. Unfortunately, I think this tyype of this happens more than we think, hence my OP.