In 1910, E.M. Jenks established Jenks Hatchery on the same property that the business sits on today, in Tangent, Oregon.
E.M. had a vision that he could create a successful business by breeding and hatching only the finest poultry, and over the years, this vision has become a reality.
As Jenks Hatchery has grown, so has the involvement of the Jenks family. In the late 1930s, E.M. Jenks' two sons, Marlowe and Melvin, joined the business. Each son added his expertise in the development of poultry technology and marketing.
E.M. Jenks died in 1966, but not before a third generation, first-cousins John and Larry Jenks, had the opportunity to continue in the family tradition.
Today, you'll find a fourth generation, E.M.'s, great-grandchild, Aaron, managing the operation, having graduated from Oregon State University in June 2014 studying poultry science. His wife Katie, is the Office Manager, and is quickly learning the in's and out's of the business as well. You may talk to her if you call in to ask a question, or place an order. Aaron and Katie had their daughter, and first child, the 5th generation Jenks, in February of 2021, and are hoping that she too will someday become involved in the family business.
This new generation continues to apply the poultry practices that have made the Jenks family name synonymous with quality chicks and poults.
