Chicks hatch, kick start poultry industry

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy | Chicken farmers load trays of 100 chicks onto trucks from the Karadi hatchery in...... read more read more

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy | Chicken farmers load trays of 100 chicks onto trucks from the Karadi hatchery in Mahmudiyah, May 13.  see less | View Image Page

MAHMUDIYAH, IRAQ

05.13.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs

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By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – The Karadi hatchery was abuzz with activity as nearly 33,000 day-old chicks were prepared for delivery to chicken farms in Mahmudiyah, about 26 kilometers south of Baghdad, May 13.

At the end of a 21-day incubation period, 32,750 chicks were distributed among seven local farmers. The chicks represented approximately 94 percent of the 35,000 eggs, well exceeding the expected 90 percent survival rate.

"After eight to nine months of planning, this is the first step where all the chicken farmers see live chickens getting put into the entire chicken industry," said Capt. Benjamin Neusse, civil military operations officer for 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

The day-old chicks were purchased from the hatchery and given to local farmers to kick start their businesses. Hatchery employees worked for hours separating the peeping chicks into trays of 100 to hand off to the farmers.

"In about 45 days they'll grow to a couple pounds each and they'll go off to the market," Neusse said. "This should hopefully create a nice market for fresh, Iraqi-grown chickens."

Two more batches totaling 60,000 eggs are scheduled to hatch within the next three weeks.

Thirteen additional farmers have been identified to receive and grow them into broilers for market.

"It's a good example of the ground forces and the (embedded provincial reconstruction team) working together toward the same objective," said Lt. Col. Linda E. Capobianco, ePRT deputy team leader. "It's great when Soldiers get involved with a great project like this one. They're helping the farmers... they're helping the economy."

The poultry association is using this as a means to reopen some of the dormant chicken farms in the Qada'a. One farmer who received a batch of the day-old chicks said he hasn't had chickens on his farm in more than a year.

"This is a region that once thrived on the poultry industry," said Col. Dominic Caraccilo, commander of the 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. "This infusion of chicks provides us with an opportunity to restart a process very familiar to the people of the Mahmudiyah Qada'a."

To date, Commander's Emergency Relief Program funds have paid for this initiative. The government of Iraq is working on a plan to take over the effort.

"This is a one-time thing, we're buying the eggs one time and the feed one time," said Lt. Col. Robert Bobinski, Baghdad-4 ePRT deputy team leader, attached to 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. He said that in order for the process to continue and yield a profit, all entities will need to work together.
Bobinski said what is important is having the hatchery, chicken farm, feed mill and processing plant on the same sheet of music.

"Everyone gives a percentage of their profits back to the poultry association, then the poultry association reinvests," he said.

Since poultry is the top protein staple in the Middle East, Bobinski said there is a huge potential for them to be sold as a fresh, halal, Iraqi-grown product.

"There are no fresh-grown chicken here in Iraq, it's all frozen – other than some guy on the corner –there's nobody doing it on a large scale," Bobinski said. "There's a market for that here."

Shakir al-Karadi owns the Karadi hatchery and said if it weren't for coalition forces' intervention and assistance the poultry business would still be in trouble.

His hatchery has not operated at full capacity since 2003.

"I would work one month and stop for three months," al-Karadi said.

When coalition forces purchased the live chicks from him, al-Karadi said it helped his business tremendously.

Before this project began, the hatchery owner estimated about 5 percent of poultry farms were operating. He said about 10 percent will be operating once remaining batches of chicks are delivered.

"I hope this is a new beginning," Al Karadi said. "There is a big future for this industry now and this is a very big push."