A new state-of-the-art hatchery to open in Ontario

From: Food in Canada

Milton, Ont. – Two chicken processors, one from Ontario and one from Quebec, are set to open a state-of-the-art chicken hatchery in Woodstock, Ont.

Sargent Farms of Ontario and Boire & Frères Inc. of Quebec say in a statement that the $15-million project will operate as the Thames River Hatchery and “will create approximately 30 jobs and have capacity to produce 20 million chicks per year.”

The companies say Thames River Hatchery is the first independent large-scale chicken hatchery built in Ontario in more than 30 years.

Bob Sargent, vice-president of Sargent Farms, says in the statement that the facility will produce some of the highest quality chicks for farmers across Ontario. “This facility features the most advanced technology on the market,” he says, “which will allow us to enhance quality, animal care standards and sustainability.”

Both companies are family owned and operated. Boire & Frères has been in operation for nearly 90 years and is based in Wickham, Que. It is one of the largest hatcheries in Canada, hatching about two million chicks each week.

Sargent Farms is based in Milton and has been in operation for 75 years. The company remodelled in 1993 specifically for poultry processing. Today a third generation of Sargents have an active role in the company.

In addition to the hatchery, says the statement, Sargent Farms is also investing $10 million to enhance and retrofit its halal chicken processing facility in Milton. The company says it will replace all of its equipment and the retrofit will take place in stages over three years, primarily during off hours.