Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 10/2/14


Columbia Farms of Georgia Inc. — an affiliate of House of Raeford Farms Inc. — plans to build a new $16-million chicken hatchery in the Batesburg-Leesville, S.C., area, the company said in a news release.

A site for the new facility has not been finalized, the release said.

The hatchery will include a single-stage incubation system that will allow for steady temperature control and, consequently, a higher hatch rate and better quality. The entire operation will be fully automated, providing for an extremely high level of sanitary conditions and an efficient incubation and hatching process. It is expected to take 15 to 18 months to build.

“It is the right time to make a significant upgrade to our live production operations, and all of that starts with the early life of our birds,” said Jim Mabe, West Columbia/Leesville complex manager, in the release.

The West Columbia/Leesville complex is one of five operated by House of Raeford. The processor works with 87 contract growers producing more than 40 million chickens annually. The current operation includes a hatchery in Batesburg-Leesville; a feed mill in Monetta, SC; and a processing plant located in W. Columbia.

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