Specifics

We have approximately 1,000,000 laying hens on the farm in Grand Rapids, Ohio and an additional 300,000 at contract locations for a total of 1,300,000.

When company founder Clarence Hertzfeld, Sr. passed away in 1970 the company was operated by his nine children.

We currently have 75 employees including 12 third generation and three fourth generation family members.  Each department of the company is managed by a third generation family member.

The company has expanded into two counties with the poultry and processing operation in Wood county and the feed operation in Lucas county.

Corn for feed is grown on approximately 1,800 acres of land which yield 360,000-400,000 bushels per year.  The 1,300,000 hens require 3 times that amount so Hertzfeld Poultry Farms, Inc. purchased Whitehouse Grain, Inc. in 1983 to expand our grain storage space.  Hertzfeld Poultry purchases grain from local farmers to use in the feed operation.

Our hens are purchased from hatcheries at one day old and raised to 17 weeks on pullet farms.  We then house them in our layer facilities for approximately 24 months.  During this time they will produce about 340 eggs.

Our processing facility operates both inline and offline. Inline allows the eggs to be transferred directly from the layer house to the processing machine.  Offline eggs are trucked to the facility for processing.

The processing operation washes, inpects, and packages eggs for sale.  The operation runs 7 days a week/ 365 days a year.

We market eggs to both wholesale and retail markets.  

We have a USDA inspector on site daily and our facilities are inspected annually by FDA and ODA.