African Chicken Farming

Poultry Farming in South Africa is a growing industry. While portable chicken houses may seem like a good idea – but they are seldom sturdy enough to run a proper operation. They are fine for hobbiests or home farmers who want a chicken coop for 10 or 15 birds. Knock down houses are not available in South Africa – although small cheap chicken houses made of steel are quite common. These are usually erected on site and welded togther. The big poultry farms are the strongest in the poultry sector but small chicken farms in the rural ares are becoming a factor. With the government giving loans to small poultry farmers it is now a growing sector. The largest chicken farms in South Africa have upwards 35 000 chickens in their broiler houses. The small chicken houses sponsored by government have up to 2500 chickens per poultry house.

Layer cages for poultry farming

These chicken houses are often funded by a government loan. The local department of agriculture will give loans for poultry equipment and for chicken houses. They will also give government grants for day old chicks, chicken food ad layer cages if you are raising chickens for egg production. With food security becoming an issue world wide this initiative is welcomed – especially in South Africa’s poorer regions where food is most often a burning issue.

Portable chicken houses and knock down chicken houses are used in poultry farming – and it is not difficult to start a small farm. The regulations that pertain to large poultry producers do not seem to apply to the small farmers – Governmet tends to turn a blind eye to smaller farmers – allowing them to put up coops in the rural areas without any impact studies or business licenses. Conditions in South Africa suit broiler chicken farming and layer farming (farming for eggs). The relatively small temperature swings make it easy to keep the chicken house at the right temperature, while good infrastructure, roads, rail, electricity make for hassle free farming. Rural areas face certain problems:

• lack of electricity
• lack of running water
• long distances to suppliers

Whether you put up portable chicken houses or a fixed structure the poultry equipment is easy to get hold of – chicken farming equipment for large poultry houses and small chicken coops. Many rural farmers have taken advantage of the governments emerging farmer programmes and are making a success of small chicken farming operations. Items like gas heaters and nipple drinkers are imported, but items like troughs and couplers are locally made by poultry equipment manufacturers. Poultry curtains are made and installed locally, as are layer cages and nest boxes – and chicken houses are built locally. Small steel structures are used for small poultry houses, while brick and mortar structures, with a steel frame, are used for the very large chicken buildings. Poultry units come in all sizes – depending on how many chickens you wish to farm with. When erecting a house – or if  a supplier is putting up a chicken house for you – ask about the various options you have of upgrading you poultry coop – most manufacturers will quote you on the cheapest option – understandable as it is a very competitive industry – ask if you can use thicker galvanised steel sheeting – most companies will use 0.3mm thick steel sheet – this, in my opinion, is way to thin - you will need up replacing the roof after a few years as it will rust through – chickens and chicken waste is very hard on steel – rather go for 0.6, or even better 1mm thick sheeting. Other options for upgrading are thicker angle iron on the structure – but if you are not in a very windy place this may not be needed. Just make sure that you have good tie downs – whether it is windy or not. Most small houses can be added to – so if you have a 6m x 3m poultry unit – you should be able to extend it. The other option if you wish to farm with more chickens is to put up another house. This give the added benefit (if you are broiler farming) of having chickens ready for slaughter at different times. Small farmers in rural ares will appreciate this as their customers want chickens every weekend – not every 6 to 8 weeks.

Training for new chicken farmers

The short answer is YES. There are many highly profitable poultry farms in South Africa. The larger chicken farming groups like Rainbow Chickens and Early Bird are doing very well. The smaller South African poultry farmers are also doing very well.

Using small steel structures with good poultry equipment, it is an industry that is growing. Many of the small chicken farmers are getting a Government Grants and using local poultry house manufacturers to build their chicken houses.

The best on the market by far is the “Yellow Door chicken houses” built locally by Chicken Shack Agencies. Learning how to farm chickens is very important. This is one aspect that government is not addressing – Chicken Shack Agencies, at their own cost, spends a lot of time on site with new chicken farmers explaining how to use the poultry equipment. Whether you need poultry equipment – nipple feeding equipment, heating equipment or feeding equipment – we can help!

Making money from chicken farming requires hard work and dedication – but it is no difficult if you follow basc poutry farming principles. A good basic traing in poultry farming is a good idea – and if in doubt, start a small chicken house and build up as you learn about chicken farming. How many chickens you farm with will determine the size of your poultry houses, and of course how much money you will make out of your chicken farm.