Hatcheries
The Baiada Group operate a number of hatcheries in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia which receive up to six (6) million fertilised eggs each week from the company's breeding farms for incubation.
The incubation and hatching of eggs is a precise and sensitive process designed to replicate the function of the "mother hen". Any significant fluctuations in temperature and humidity can have a significant effect on the effectiveness of the hatching process and the quality of the chick produced.
The Baiada Group produces three different breeds of chicken. A chick that will be reared for the purpose of producing table eggs the ISA Brown egg layer, the second type, a chick that will ultimately be used for poultry meat production - the Cobb 500 high meat yield broiler and the most recent addition is the Ross 308 which is also used for meat production.
Interesting Facts
The components of a live broiler, inedible by humans represents approximately 30% of the total weight of the chicken and will eventually be recycled as protein.