Q&A

DEAR NEW FARM:

If you want to produce organic eggs or organic poultry, do you need to start with organic chicks? And where can you purchase organic chicks to start out?

Jenny Lewis
Georgia

DEAR JENNY:

We asked our friend Jeff Mattocks, vice president and nutritionist at Fertrell, for a little help on this one. Here’s what Jeff had to say:

According the National organic standards, all chicks are organic for two days. After you receive them, they must have organic feed from day one. The time between hatching and delivery (up to two days) doesn’t count because they don’t eat anything and haven’t received antibiotics, hormones or anything prohibited by the organic standards.

Enjoy those chickens.

Jeff Mattocks
Vice President
The Fertrell Company

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