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Elkhorn

Farms

About Us

To contact us phone:

419-562-6131

Elkhorn was originally founded by Charles and Edith Jeannette Baehr in the early 1960s as Elkhorn Lake Shooting Park, Inc. raising up to 25,000 pheasants with their children Mike and Charlene.

 

Sam and Peg Ballou moved to the farm in 1984, with Chuck and Sam becoming partners as Elkhorn Farms. The pheasant hatchery was built in 1987 adding a whole new dimension to the farm. Charles and Jeannette retired to Florida in the 90s, and the transfer of the business and property was completed in 2003.

 

Elkhorn Farms & Hatchery, Inc. hatched almost 500,000 chicks in 2007, shipping all over the United States and  raised approximately 80,000 pheasants to adulthood/partial adulthood for use on our own Elkhorn Lake Hunt Club, or for sale to other farms and hunt clubs.

Peg & Sam Ballou with Candy, the greeter dog

“How do we fight the antis?”

 

By joining together, fighting the opposition and ignorance, we can continue our hunting heritage. NAGA, The US Sportsmen’s Alliance, the NRA and other fine organizations keep us posted on issues to address. Join today! www.naga.org

“What are feed prices going to do?”

 

According to all reports, feed prices will continue their upward spiral to a cost-effectiveness ceiling. Biofuel-use of corn and soybeans will limit availability of those grains. Therefore, price your birds accordingly. 

 

While there are always those who will cut prices to try to steal your customers, use good quality feeds to produce good flying birds and maintain a quality game bird and your reputation as a quality producer.

              

Elkhorn Farms adheres to the NAGA Standard of Ethics. See the appropriate page to examine that standard.

Text Box: “What is happening with Avian Influenza?” Have you noticed how the media feeding frenzy has died down concerning Avian influenza? The proposed epidemic that was to kill millions has not materialized, without acknowledgement of the press. Dr. Eva Pendleton of Penn State spoke to the national NAGA convention and shared the following information: AI continues to have difficulty passing across species lines, remains mainly a disease that kills more birds than folks, and mostly affects those in long term contact with fowl in housing situations and low cleanliness standards. Additionally, those with no indemnification programs (financial replacement benefit from culling sick birds) will tend to eat or sell those birds, increasing their risk. Our main concern in this country is from bird trade shows and backyard flocks with constant exposure to untested birds. That is why it is important to buy from tested flocks. The NPIP testing plan is our best bet on maintaining disease-free flocks. That is why Elkhorn Farms & Hatchery, Inc. participates in a testing program to ensure a clean flock and healthy hatches.

Aerial Photocredits: Clear Skies Aerial Photography, December, 2007

Elkhorn Farms now consists of three farms northeast of Bucyrus, Ohio We don’t want to be the largest producer, but we want to do our best, so seek to provide hearty, healthy stock for our clients. We are NPIP certified clean for AI and other poultry diseases.

Sam serves on the national board of the North American Gamebird Association, as well as being involved in numerous organizations such as the NRA, NWTF, NAHC, etc. He and Peg have six children and homeschool those remaining at home. Those children are “employees in training” and we appreciate your patience with them. If you connect to the answering machine during study hours  please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. We check our email regularly, but if you don’t get an answer within 24 hours, please use more traditional means of contact, and don’t use email for time-sensitive messages.