Behind the Hatch: Poultry Genetics and Vintage Incubators at Cackle Hatchery

What goes into breeding and hatching more than 230 breeds and varieties of poultry? In episode 51 of The Poulrty Doc Podcast, Dr. Blayne visits Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri, for a behind-the-scenes tour with owner Jeff Smith. Founded in 1936, this fourth-generation family hatchery is celebrating 90 years in business. Find out why Cackle is one of only 12 remaining hobby hatcheries in the United States. Jeff shares the work behind selective breeding, the challenges of finding new bloodlines for older breeds, and the care that keeps decades-old redwood incubators running. Along the way, he and Dr. Blayne discuss how eggs at different stages of development share heat inside the incubators, and why temperature, humidity, and egg turning matter. From coordinating with the farms that care for Cackle’s breeding stock to sorting chicks and preparing orders for shipment, this episode shows how much planning goes into every hatch. It also offers a look at the original hatchery buildings and the family history behind an operation that has stayed in the same location for nine decades. Thank you Jeff, Nathaniel, Dalton, and everyone at Cackle for having us out and giving us a tour. And a big thanks to Jonathan for the great footage. Learn more about Cackle and their 230 varieties of poultry here: https://www.cacklehatchery.com/ ThePoultryDoc.com is a website dedicated to bringing board-certified poultry medicine to backyard flocks everywhere. Visit The Poultry Doc to find diagnostic testing kits, tele-health consultations, and the new Copper Feather membership with access to our Flock Dashboard and Vet Your Flock troubleshooting agent. https://thepoultrydoc.com/join-the-fl... 00:00 Intro 00:11 Meet Jeff Smith at Cackle Hatchery 00:22 90 Years and Four Generations of Family History 01:25 Behind-the-Scenes Operations 03:08 Inside the Brooder Room 03:30 Selective Breeding and the Search for New Bloodlines 05:28 Keeping Vintage Redwood Incubators Running 06:22 How Developing Embryos Share Heat 07:32 Egg Collection and Working with Local Farms 08:42 Why the Hatching Process Cannot Stop 10:20 Temperature, Humidity, and Egg Turning 11:42 Maintenance and Historic Hatchery Buildings 13:13 The Original Hatchery and Keeping the Business Alive 14:19 Closing Thoughts