MBiz

Issue 1

Manitoba Chamber of Commerce

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A FEW GOOD HENS Connie and Kevin Berg don't count their chicks before they hatch. That's a big enough job after the fact at their hatchery near Russell, where they greet as many as 250,000 birds a year. The third-generation family hatchery had humble beginnings back in 1953, when Kevin's grandfather, Rudolph Berg, set up a small turkey flock and moved an incubator into his living room. Almost 50 years later, Connie and Kevin are proud that the business continues to grow and flourish. "There is a sentimental value and a sense of pride in working with family," Connie says. "There are fewer farmers than there once were, but we still do the same thing — hatch a chick and sell a chick." The Bergs hatch a wide variety of chicks, including Cornish, egg layers, turkeys, ducks, geese, pearl guinea and specialty birds for buyers who want to raise a few birds for meat or eggs. "We are the smallest hatchery in Manitoba. We sell mostly to small customers," Connie says. "Not a lot of small hatcheries offer the selection we do. Many of our customers have raised chickens for years and it's a tradition." SUNNY SIDE UP: Connie and Kevin Berg are third-generation owners of the family hatchery. Rudolph Berg, whose original incubator is on display at the hatchery, started out hatching 800 eggs a year. By 1958, he was hatching 15,000 eggs each year and in 1960, he and his son, Earl, bought another hatchery that tripled their capacity. Earl's wife, Betty, bought out her father-in-law in 1974 and the company became a true mom-and-pop operation. In 1994, they started a broiler breeder farm for eggs at Kevin and Connie's home. Two years later, the younger couple bought out the company. At one time, the hatchery sold only to buyers within an hour's drive. Today, chicks are mailed or shipped by air overnight to 50 agents who CHICKS COME FIRST AT THE BERG FAMILY HATCHERY By Liz Katynski Photos courtesy of Berg's Hatchery distribute them to buyers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Although they are permitted to ship chicks within 36 hours, the Bergs will only ship within 24 hours, in consideration of the birds' well-being. "We don't want them to get dehydrated and stressed." The Bergs still keep 6,500 broiler breeder hens to supply eggs for the hatchery. The hens are fed a grain- only diet and the chicks are not fed before they're shipped, so customers can choose to feed them grain too. "Some breeders will pay extra to ensure a grain-only diet. That they are fed no meat is important to them." About 65% of the Berg's chicks are hatched from March to June to meet the needs of traditional farmers. The process takes exactly 21 days. At 7 a.m. on hatch day, staff start counting chicks, adding two extra per 100 to every order. About 42,000 eggs yield 35,000 to 38,000 chicks. Connie and Kevin, along with three full-time staff and seasonal staff, sort chicks into boxes, which are assembled by students who work part-time after school. The Berg's 14-year-old son, Vincent, picks eggs in the barn after school. Their daughter, Melissa, is a student at the University of Brandon. Connie grew up on a cattle farm and never dreamed she would run a hatchery one day. "I married into it. It has been a great place to raise our kids. It's a lot of work, but it gives us a job earning a living in a rural community." www.bergshatchery.com MBiz June 2012 15 PARKLAND

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