For over a century, McMurray Hatchery has been at the forefront of the industry — offering the widest variety of rare and exotic poultry breeds in the country.
Our founder, Murray McMurray, had always been interested in poultry as a young man and particularly enjoyed showing birds at the local and state fairs. His interest in rare and exotic breeds of poultry is still the foundation of our business today. Over 100 years later, McMurray Hatchery carries over 120 breeds of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, pheasants and other rare and exotic breeds.
Many poultry and livestock breeds are considered threatened and critical by the Livestock Conservancy. As an example, the Crèvecœur breed is listed as critical. This very old breed gets its name from the village of Crèvecœur en Auge in Normandy, France — and translated literally, it means “broken heart.” Aptly named, today the number of breeding Crèvecœurs in the U.S. is well under 500, and the global population is under 1,000 birds.
As we look to the future, we believe it is important to do all that we can to help preserve these endangered breeds — not just so we can offer a wide variety of breeds to our customers, but it’s the right thing to do.
So, continuing our dedication to preserving rare and exotic breeds, we are in the process of building a new, state-of-the-art barn. This new facility will be dedicated to breed preservation, breeding new varieties and more. It’s an investment in the future, tied to the roots of our past.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue building. Click here for more information on the Crèvecœur breed, or the Livestock Conservancy.
