What Select Genetics does

Select Genetics is a turkey breeding and hatching company headquartered in Willmar, Minnesota, founded in 1945 (originally as Willmar Poultry Company) and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aviagen Group under the legal name Select Genetics LLC. The company breeds turkeys, incubates and hatches their eggs, and distributes the progeny — day-old poults — to turkey growers throughout the United States and Canada. It operates dedicated breeder housing in five US states (Minnesota, Virginia, Illinois, North Carolina, and Missouri), multi-state hatchery operations, and hatches over 150 million turkey eggs annually. Its commercial offering centers on the Nicholas turkey breed provided through the Aviagen Turkeys genetics portfolio.

The company's differentiation rests on two proprietary vaccine technologies layered onto its breeding and hatching operations. The SRP (Siderophore Receptor and Porin) Vaccine Technology, developed by Epitopix exclusively for Select Genetics, delivers multi-serotype salmonella protection to poults through maternal immunity, and Select Genetics is the only turkey breeder worldwide with access to this platform. The SRV (Sustained Release Vaccine) platform, co-developed by Life-Science Innovations and Epitopix, is the first sustained-release vaccine for poultry, enabling day-of-age administration with gradual antigen release over several weeks; commercial products currently cover E. coli and Hemorrhagic Enteritis, with Newcastle and Bordetella vaccines in development. The Willmar hatchery was the first in the industry to adopt automated hatching technology, and the company operates a custom-designed fleet of trucks and trailers engineered to maintain hatchery-equivalent environmental conditions for long-distance poult delivery across the US.

Select Genetics runs a sales-led B2B model, selling poults directly to integrated food marketing companies, commercial production farms, and independent turkey growers. Pricing is negotiated bilaterally and is not publicly disclosed. The company is actively hiring across multiple locations in 2024 and has no public revenue disclosure; its operations are stable and supported by parent Aviagen Group's balance sheet and affiliated technology entities.

Name

Select Genetics

Legal name

Select Genetics LLC

Website

https://select-genetics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Select Genetics is a US turkey breeder and hatcher (subsidiary of Aviagen Group) that produces over 150 million poults annually across five states, distributing the Nicholas breed enhanced with exclusive SRP and SRV vaccine technologies to integrated food companies and turkey growers in the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poultry Breeding and Hatching

NAICS

Turkey Production (11233), Poultry Hatcheries (112340), Poultry and Egg Production (1123)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Turkey Production (AFAEADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hatcheries & Chick Production (Day-Old Chicks, Pullets) (AFAEADAD), Broodstock Development & Management (Genetic Lines, SPF/SPR Broodstock) (AFAEAKAG), Poultry Vaccines (HLAMAKAC)

Keywords

• Turkey breeding
• Poultry genetics
• Poult supply
• Commercial hatching
• Avian vaccines

Headquarters

HQ city

Willmar

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Poult Sales: Select Genetics breeds turkeys, hatches their eggs, and distributes the progeny (known as poults) to turkey growers throughout the United States and Canada. The company provides quality poults at greatest value to integrated food marketing companies, commercial production farms, and independent turkey growers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Select Genetics breeds turkeys, hatches their eggs, and distributes the progeny (known as poults) to turkey growers throughout the United States and Canada. The company provides the Nicholas turkey breed enhanced by proprietary vaccine technologies (SRP Vaccine Technology and SRV Sustained Release Vaccine) and delivers over 150 million turkey eggs annually through breeder farms in five states and a custom logistics fleet.

Product overview

Select Genetics is a turkey breeding and hatching company offering a unified portfolio centered on poult supply. The core offering includes breeding and hatching of Nicholas turkey breed, enhanced by proprietary vaccine technologies (SRP Vaccine Technology and SRV Sustained Release Vaccine) that provide superior disease protection. Supporting services include custom logistics for poult delivery. The company operates breeder farms in Minnesota, Virginia, Illinois, North Carolina, and Missouri, with hatching facilities and distributes over 150 million turkey eggs annually throughout the United States and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• EpitopixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpitopix developed SRP (Siderophore Receptor and Porin) Vaccine Technology solely for use by Select Genetics. Select Genetics is the only turkey breeder in the world with access to this proprietary technology. Epitopix also collaborated on SRV (Sustained Release Vaccine) technology development alongside Life-Science Innovations.
• Life-Science Innovations (LSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife-Science Innovations (LSI), in conjunction with Epitopix, developed the SRV (Sustained Release Vaccine) platform exclusively for Select Genetics. This is the first sustained release vaccine platform, allowing day-of-age vaccinations with gradual antigen release over several weeks.
• Aviagen GroupflagshipOthersAviagen Group is the parent company of Select Genetics. The Select Genetics website and branding are owned by Aviagen Group. The company operates as part of the Aviagen family of companies.
• NicholascoreOthersSelect Genetics provides the Nicholas turkey breed in conjunction with their proprietary technologies. Nicholas is a well-known turkey genetics brand. More information available through Aviagen Turkeys.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Zoetis: Zoetis is the world's largest animal health company, producing poultry vaccines including for turkeys. While not a turkey breeder, Zoetis is a leading potential competitor or partner for vaccine technologies that currently differentiate Select Genetics, making it a relevant adjacent player in the turkey value chain.
• Cobb-Vantress: Cobb-Vantress is a sister company under Aviagen Group focused on broiler chicken breeding. While operating in a different species, it shares the same parent, business model of proprietary-genetics poultry breeding, and distribution infrastructure, making it a strong comparable for Select Genetics' underlying economics.
• Hendrix Genetics: Hendrix Genetics is a global, multi-species animal breeding company and the parent of Hybrid Turkeys. It offers comparable proprietary genetics in turkeys, layers, swine, and aquaculture, representing the broadest competitive threat to Select Genetics' niche via its turkey-focused subsidiary.
• Hubbard (Aviagen): Hubbard is another Aviagen Group subsidiary focused on broiler breeding for alternative market segments (slow-growing, colored birds). Comparable as a poultry genetics business under the same corporate parent, though operating in a different species and market segment.

Direct peers

• Hybrid Turkeys (Hendrix Genetics): Hybrid Turkeys is a major turkey breeding and genetics company owned by Hendrix Genetics, and is the most direct global competitor to Select Genetics in the turkey poult market. Both companies supply commercial turkey breeding stock with proprietary genetic lines to integrated producers worldwide.
• Cuddy Farms: Cuddy Farms is a North American turkey primary breeder historically supplying commercial turkey genetics in Canada and the US. It is a direct competitor to Select Genetics in the turkey breeding stock market, particularly within the Canadian and US commercial turkey industries.
• Aviagen Turkeys: Aviagen Turkeys is the international turkey genetics arm of Aviagen Group (Select Genetics' parent), distributing the B.U.T. and other commercial turkey breeds globally. While part of the same corporate family, it operates as a parallel turkey breeding business serving markets outside Select Genetics' North American focus.
• Orvia Group: Orvia is a French-based turkey and poultry breeding company supplying genetics to commercial producers, primarily in Europe and selected international markets. It competes directly with Select Genetics in turkey breeding and offers a regional alternative for European turkey producers.

Others

• Epitopix: Epitopix is the developer of SRP Vaccine Technology and co-developer of the SRV platform used exclusively by Select Genetics. As a key technology partner, Epitopix is closely tied to Select Genetics' competitive differentiation and represents both a strategic ally and a critical relationship dependency.
• Life-Science Innovations (LSI): LSI co-developed the SRV (Sustained Release Vaccine) platform alongside Epitopix for Select Genetics' exclusive use. As a strategic innovation partner within the Aviagen ecosystem, LSI is critical to the company's vaccine technology roadmap.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Select Genetics