hatchery

American  

[hach-uh-ree] / ˈhætʃ ə ri /

noun

hatcheries plural

1. a place for hatching eggs of hens, fish, etc., especially a large, commercial or government site where the young are hatched, cared for, and sold or distributed.

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hatchery British  

/ ˈhætʃərɪ /

noun

1. a place where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subhatchery
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hatcheries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hatchery

First recorded in 1875–80; hatch ¹ + -ery

Explanation

A hatchery is a place where fish or bird eggs are hatched. Do you want to raise chickens so you can have fresh eggs every day? You'll probably buy your birds as babies from a hatchery. Small poultry hatcheries produce chicks that are usually sold to backyard farmers. Larger poultry hatcheries are more like factories, supplying chickens for meat or eggs to enormous corporations. Fish hatcheries are an important part of fish farming, providing a safe place for eggs to hatch and fish to grow large enough to be used for food.

Example Sentences

Chris Weston, senior hatchery technician at the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow, Cornwall, has observed colour changes in lobsters raised in captivity.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

Whitney Fish Hatchery property will be the department’s first-ever land return to a California tribe, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2023

The hatchery websites, such as Meyer Hatchery, have wonderful breed information to help you narrow down what kinds of chickens you might want to raise.

From Salon • May 7, 2023

“Everybody wants the heavy layers,” said Ginger Stevenson, director of marketing at Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2023

“You mean like when people come to visit the Hatchery and we show them around?”

From "Son" by Lois Lowry