Gold Kist

Gold Kist was a large chicken producing company in the United States south. It was founded in 1933 by D.W. Brooks, a University of Georgia agronomy instructor as the Cotton Producers Association, a cooperative to help farmers in Carrollton, Georgia, market cotton. It soon grew and diversified into fields such as fertilizer and retailing farm supplies. It soon entered the poultry business. In 1998 it exited the agronomy business to focus on protein products, primarily chicken but also pork. In 2004, with the approval of its membership, it converted from being a cooperative to a for-profit stock-ownership company, listed on NASDAQ. In 2006, Gold Kist was acquired by Pilgrim's Pride.

Gold Kist operated nine fully integrated poultry divisions in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North and South Carolina. Each division operated its own hatchery, feed mill, and processing plant.

Gold Kist contracted with approximately 2,300 family farmers to raise the chickens. The farmers provide the houses, equipment, utilities and labor to grow the birds. Gold Kist provides the chicks, feed and technical assistance. When the chickens reach market weight, Gold Kist processes and markets them. This contractual arrangement gives farmers access to global markets but reduces their exposure to market volatility.

Gold Kist operated three types of chicken farms; Pullet, Layer, and Broiler.

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