Donald Shaver search widely for diversified breeding stock. Local breeders, knowing his reputation were reluctant to sell to him for fear of competition. In 1946, there were 256 registered chicken breeders in Canada. Shaver Poultry became the 257th. By 1958, only Shaver remained, along with seven other major poultry breeders worldwide. The principle of hybrid vigour had been well established for corn, but the costs and time required to test chicken crosses were higher. Small breeders (as Shaver was at the time) could not afford permanent scientific staff, so Shaver obtained assistance from geneticists conducting research at universities and government institutions. Shaver
Eva Shaver midwife while her son Clarence Shaver owned an "abortion parlor" to sell abortion pills. In May 1915, a young man named Marshall Hostetler met up with Clarence Shaver and asked for a pill to cure his lover, Anna Johnson, of an unwanted pregnancy. After finding that the abortion pills did not work, Clarence requested that the couple pay a visit to his mother Dr. Eva Shaver, the midwife. Anna Johnson then travelled to Dr. Shaver and her son's illegal abortion clinic in their Chicago home. At this time, Dr. Eva Shaver was 25 years old and had severely botched Anna