Celebrating Our New Hatchery: Official Ribbon Cutting with Forward Janesville

On February 12, 2025, we had the honor of hosting an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for our newly redesigned hatchery in partnership with Forward Janesville. This event marked a major milestone for MacFarlane Pheasants as we unveiled our improvements to enhance efficiency, biosecurity, and production capacity.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Chris Theisen, Vice President of Production, led the event by giving attendees a guided tour of the facility after officially cutting the ribbon. Chris has been a part of the MacFarlane Pheasants team since 1998, and his deep knowledge and experience played a key role in the vision for the new hatchery.

Our previous hatchery manager, Ronnie Viljoen, was instrumental in this transformation.  His expertise helped guide the planning and implementation of the upgrades, ensuring that our hatchery is set up for long-term success.  Rich Brown has been with the company since 2019 and trained under Ronnie in 2024.  He has taken over the reins as the hatchery manager in 2025 and is excited about his new role. 

Our entire staff joined the event, celebrating this exciting step forward together. After the ceremony, we gathered for a well-deserved lunch to reflect on the hard work and dedication that went into making this project a reality.

Our Hatchery’s Remodel

Our hatchery transformation began in the fall of 2023 with the foundation pour. A key priority was streamlining every stage of the hatching process—from egg arrival to chick hatching—while maintaining strict separation between incubation stages to minimize contamination risks and ensure bird health.

Upgrading to state-of-the-art Jamesway incubation equipment was a critical part of this project. For a brief period in March and April, we operated old and new systems before fully transitioning by the end of April 2024. These improvements have been game-changing, increasing our weekly hatch production from 91,000 to 193,500 eggs. With this expanded capacity, we are better equipped to meet growing demand while maintaining the highest standards of quality and care.

For a deeper look at our hatchery expansion and remodel, check out this blog.

Looking Ahead

The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated progress, teamwork, and our commitment to continuous improvement. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and grateful to our dedicated staff, partners, and the support of Forward Janesville for making this event so special.

This new hatchery sets the stage for the future of MacFarlane Pheasants, and we’re excited to continue growing and providing top-quality chicks for our customers for years to come.