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JERSEYVILLE - The Hatch at Oggerbear Farms, a hatchery that produces fertile eggs, along with live chicks, ducklings and other poultry, will be having its first-ever Hatch Spectacular from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Betty's Get N Go at 100 West Locust Street in Fieldon.
The hatchery will be taking orders from customers for eggs and also sell live chicks. It's a family-owned business founded last year, and has rapidly grown during that time.
"This is our hatchery, with fertile eggs, chicks, ducklings and poultry," said Chrisy McElyea, who owns the business along with her husband, Chris. "The hatchery is our main pursuit. We started in February, 2019, with buying fertile eggs from a farmer, and grew to raising our own flocks and selling the chicks. The hatchery is the goal for our main business income. Our mission is to work hard together as a family, play harder and enjoy the journey. This business gives us an opportunity to enjoy working together."
The McElyeas have four children who help out with the business, and incorporates the hatchery into the home-schooling lessons that are taught every day. The family also enjoys working together, and the children are very enthusiastic helpers when they can.
"My husband and I enjoy raising the birds with our four young children," McElyea said. "We all work together, and we enjoy it! This is part of our home-schooling lessons for our children; hard work, science lessons everywhere of God's creation, and mathematics with the income. We try to involve our children as we see fit, and they have eager hands, ready to help. This is something unique to the business. It really does help a family business when buying from us."
The McElyea children have various responsibilities in the hatchery, and all of them tackle their duties very well, indeed.
"Our daughter is a big help with gathering eggs, and giving us a hand when we need it," McElyea said. "Our oldest son likes to make sure the chickens are kept safe from predators by helping Dada build safe pens for the birds. He especially likes to handle the birds. Our two-year-old son loves to help us gathering eggs, and is being trained in the field. Our baby is a patiently joyous observer of the birds with us, whether strolling around in the pens, or in a carrier looking at them inside the pens."
The business has already enjoyed great success, and McElyea and her family are very optimistic about the business' future.
"Our success is just beginning," McElyea said. "We are hopeful to grow the business to become our sole financial support to allow us to daily work together. My husband is currently a self-employed carpenter to support our family and the business as it starts off."
For more information on The Hatchery at Oggerbear Farms, please call (618) 498-7337.
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