Cackle Hatchery
Owners: Clifton, Nancy and Jeff Smith
Location: Lebanon, Mo.
History: Cackle Hatchery is a third generation family owned and operated poultry hatchery offering over 187 varieties of poultry shipped directly from Missouri to their customers. Clifford and Lena Smith started Cackle Hatchery in 1936 and then Clifton and Nancy took over in 1964.
Birds: Cackle Hatchery sells over 100,000 birds weekly including chickens, bantams, geese, ducks, guineas, turkeys, peafowl and game birds. The eggs come from 85 different flock owner farms within a 55-mile radius of the hatchery. Each flock is blood tested and culled once a year. For economical purposes and to control disease the breeding stock is turned over each year.
Sales and Marketing: Jeff Smith, director of sales and marketing said, “99.9 percent of our birds are preordered and booked ahead of hatching.” Half of the birds are sold wholesale to feed, farm and ranch stores, and the other half are sold to retail customers by mail orders. After the chicks hatch Cackle Hatchery has 72 hours to get the chicks to their destination.
What are your chicks used for?
“Some people want chickens to butcher, for eggs, as pets or for some kind of animal husbandry. A lot of our costumers are people who want to get back to the basics and teach their kids. They’re concerned about where their food comes from. Plus, they make good pets. As the economy gets worse our business provides a new option for food resources,” explained Jeff.
Story and Photo by Lynzee Glass
