The Hatortempt Story
How a team of non chicken owners became obsessed with chickens and worms.
Yes, we didn’t have chickens. Hear us out.
We may have started as outsiders, but coming in fresh meant no bias, no bad habits, no “that’s just how it’s done.” We knew we had a lot to learn, and more importantly, we had to listen. As in, listen more than any brand before us. Hatortempt wouldn’t be built on the experience of a handful of chickens from one coop, but on the shared experience of over 16,000.
Which is exactly what we did.
Our Mission
To honor the unique bond between backyard chicken parents and their flock, making it easy to support their physical and emotional wellbeing.
Here’s everything we’ve been learning along the way.
Manufacturing:
Not all dried worms are made equal
We learned quickly that we needed the strictest standards when sourcing partner farms, we needed a set of non-negotiables:
✔ Expertise
Our partners had to live and breathe the specific species they raised, even having master’s degrees in entomology (bugs).
✔ Cleanliness
Your girls eat them, and so do you through their eggs. Every facility had to be spotless. To quote Ryan our CEO “our farms are cleaner than food factories I’ve been to.”
✔ Organic in the truest sense
Did you know worms can be fed plastics? Not ours. Their diet had to be nutritious from start to finish, meaning only wheat, carrots and squash, depending on the season.
✔ No short cuts, ever.
We’ve rejected facilities for breaking worms by shoveling too fast… we’re not joking.
Ryan (CEO) shoveling worms the Hatortempt way.
These strict standards paid off, giving us one of the highest-quality worm productions on the market.
Incase you’re curious, here is the Hatortempt production process step by step.
Packaging:
Worms aren’t exactly ‘sexy’ when it comes to Graphic design
Or at least, you would have thought that from our original bag. If we were going to be made for America’s backyard, it needed to be something you were proud to have there. We needed a re-do, and not to toot our own leghorn, but we think we did a pretty good job.
Community:
You guys are just as fun as your chickens
When Hatortempt started, the backyard chicken community was small, but devoted. Your girls weren’t just a way to cheaper eggs. The relationship was meaningful, fun, even therapeutic when they weren’t being jerks. This community was more authentic, resourceful, and caring than any space we had seen.
It quickly became incredibly fun. These are down-to-earth people who really care about their chickens. We got so close we would have calls just to share our everyday lives.
Lovisa, Head of Marketing
As the community grew, so did the voices shaping it. A special thank you to Savannah (@thehotmesshomestead) who supported us from early on. Your insights helped us listen, learn, and build better products. We will always be grateful that you were part of our journey.
New Products:
Chickens need more than mealworms
Here’s the thing: when your first product is a hit, you have to work even harder on the next. For us, that meant every new Hatortempt product had to start with listening to our customers. Which in theory would be your chickens, but since they aren’t the strongest communicators, we listened to you instead. You showed us the gaps no one else was filling when caring for your flock.
The Vision
To become the one-stop shop for America’s backyard community. The brand you’re proud to choose for everything your flock needs, at every stage and milestone.
Here’s what’s coming next:
We’re heading to store shelves
We’ll always be online, but chicken supplies should be as easy to grab as dog food.
We’ll Cover every stage & Milestone
So far we’ve focused on the laying years, or as our CEO Ryan says, “We’re a brand for teenage chickens.” But what about chicks, or older ladies in retirement? Your bond doesn’t stop when the eggs do, and neither will we.
Filling the gaps on whatever They Need
So much product development has gone to other animals, but chickens have been underserved. We’ll make the basics better, your experience easier, and your bond as meaningful as you want it to be.
Doing our part within the growing community
We want our VIC (Very Important Chicken) Club to be a space for resources and support. A community that both new and experienced parents can rely on, so you never have to figure out your flock alone.
As a thank you for your support, and for reading this far, here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming next…
Valentine’s day wish from Hatortempt.
We’re still sticking to that 30 year plan.
Not every product has been a hit...
The art work in the office that we can’t explain.