By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

POLK, Ohio — Twenty-five years ago, Karen Meyer made a trip to a local feed mill in north-central Ohio, a trip that would change her life.

Meyer attended Chick Day at that feed mill when she spotted some chickens. Looking to make a little money, she entertained the idea of owning some chickens on her small farm. But she took chicken ownership to a whole new level when she learned the business from another hatchery and eventually purchased that hatchery’s flock and equipment in 1985.

She started with 50 chickens back then. Today, Meyer Hatchery in Ashland County has hatched more than 900,000 chicks, 30,000 bantams and 35,000 turkeys.

“Our busiest time is in the spring because people like to get their chicks when the temperatures start to warm up,” Meyer said, “but we’re just as busy during the winter as well.  If customers wait to purchase the chicks in March or April it usually takes about 18 weeks for a young hen to start laying. This way the hens can start laying before next winter time. Chicks purchased in April will start laying sometime in August.”

Meyer Hatchery began in 1985 with just four breeds of chickens and a few used incubators. Today the agribusiness offers 160 breeds of poultry including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, pea fowl and game birds. These poultry are offered on a weekly basis. Seventeen week-old pullets and juvenile stock are available throughout the year.

Roughly 6,000 hens produce the eggs needed for the hatchery.
“There (id) normally a two- to six-week wait for our chicks,” said Ben Brushaber, Meyer office manager. “With some varieties there’s a three to four month wait to get just what you’re looking for.”
Eggs at Meyer Hatchery start out in machines called setters. The eggs will remain on these setters for 18 days. The eggs lie on carts that turn the eggs each hour.

“The reason they rotate is if an egg stands in one position long enough the yolk would float to the top of the shell and stick,” Meyer said.

After 18 days in the warmth of the setter, the eggs are laid flat in hatching baskets and then transferred to the hatchery until they actually hatch.

“On the 21st day we sort out the chicks by breed and sex and decide whether they go in cardboard boxes or plastic boxes,” Meyer said. “We then sex the chicken, which means we separate the males and females. Not everyone wants roosters. Some may order, say, 100 Rhode Island red hens and may not want 50 roosters in there with them. From this point on we pack the orders. We try to have all of each day’s shipments to the post office by 4 p.m.”
During Meyers’ busiest months her business will hatch roughly 50,000 chicks per week, depending on the demand. Meyer also provides started pullets, or young hens, to those who want chickens that will lay eggs within weeks of delivery.

“Our average customer is the person who orders 20-25 chicks and these people just want to have fresh eggs on a daily basis,” Brushaber said.

“Some people purchase chicks just for fun while others get them to sustain their income,” Meyer said. “Also, people are more conscious more and more about where their food comes from and that’s one thing they can control. If they have their own chickens they know exactly what they’re eating. People feel good about having their own animals and taking care of them and getting some return out of them.”

Ten years ago the company was a two-person operation. Today there are 40 employed at Meyer Hatchery.

“We’ve grown as the need for chicks has grown,” Meyer said. “If someone asks for a new breed of chicken we’d add that breed to our list. We try to have on hand what the customer is seeking.”
According to Meyer, business has continued to grow the past three years despite the sluggish economy. The company has expanded and now includes a drive-through where customers can pick up chick feeders, feed, home décor and other items. Just recently Meyer created a larger retail store.

Perhaps the busiest and noisiest location in this hatchery is the shipping department, the place where the chicks are packaged and mailed to customers across the country. Cardboard boxes vibrate with the patter of tiny feet. A multitude of small holes allow glimpses of brown, yellow or black fluff. These mail-order chickens depart the hatchery when they’re just a day old.

The young birds survive the mail in good shape, thanks to sturdy boxes and the egg yolks that naturally provide newborns nourishment for up to 72 hours.

Meyer Hatchery is in the northern part of Ohio. But anywhere in Ohio would be a good spot for a hatchery as Ohio is home to 27 million laying hens and is the second largest egg producer in the nation. Ohio Department of Agriculture statistics show that there are 600 egg, turkey and chicken producers in the state.