WHITING FARMS RAISES VERY PROFITABLE HACKLES.

• Author: STEVENS, M. EASTLAKE
• Position: Brief Article

HOW A DELTA-BASED FEATHER DOMINATES THE WORLD FLY-TYING BUSINESS

When Tom Whiting was about 7 years old, he discovered fancy birds and chickens at the Denver Zoo. By the time he was 10, he had his own flock of chickens, and they have dominated his life ever since.

But, oh, what chickens.

Whiting Farms chickens are raised for fly-tying feathers, and a rooster's cape (neck feathers) and saddle (back feathers) -- collectively called "hackle" -- can cost up to $200. But that's not much when a good fly-tier can get a couple of thousand flies out of a single cape or saddle.

Whiting's hackle is used to tie flies all over the world. In his 11 years in business, whiting has seen sales increase 18-fold; he controls about 80% of the world market.

Feathers produced at Whiting Farms primarily are used for dry fly hackle, or flies that float on the surface of the water. They are available in more than 20 natural colors. Whiting also produces a large series of dyed feathers using natural dyes and a proprietary process. Bright natural dyes are used to match an insect's color. The four Whiting farm complexes, all located around Delta, together produce some 5,000 different feathered products.

Most edible chickens live six to eight weeks. Whiting's hens and roosters live to the ripe old age of about a year, and, "A rooster with good qualities will live longer," Whiting said. "But a rooster with fine characteristics is worth tip to $25,000." Really fine roosters will produce chicks...