This is according to 29-year-old Paballo Motumi, who is a poultry farmer in Kuruman in the Northern Cape. Motumi adds that even though there is a lot of competition within the industry, the demand for meat and eggs is ever-growing. OFM News’s Elsabé Richard spoke to her about what breeds of chicken she farms with, as well as the requirements that need to be taken into consideration when farming with chickens…

See PODCAST below

What type of chicken breeds do you farm with? 

Motumi, who is the owner of GG Enterprise, explains that, “I [farm] with Broiler chickens – the Ross 308 – they grow within a short period of time. Within six weeks’ time, they are ready to be slaughtered. I also have indigenous chickens. They are also called ‘hardbodies’ [and] although they take longer to grow, they don’t require much attention and hard work as the broilers do.

“The reason I chose these breeds is because of the market I serve - from local households for consumption, to traditional healers for use for various traditional reasons, and the Muslims in our community for use for religious purposes. It is all about fulfilling the needs of the different customers that we serve. We also have Lohmann Brown [chickens] for eggs.”

Is it difficult to farm with chickens?

“To be honest, it is not difficult to farm with chickens. It is quite easy if you have passion and patience. But it can be a bit devastating when you experience loss. This can be due to many things, like when they do not get the right amount of food and temperatures.”

Is this a competitive industry? 

“Oh yes! There is a lot of competition, but the demand for meat and eggs is ever-growing. So, there is always room for more.”

What are the pros and cons of farming with chickens? 

“The pros of farming with chickens is that the demand increases and the returns are also very good. And the [cons] about poultry is that chickens require intensive care, especially when they are still small. So, one needs to make sure they are well taken care of to avoid loss.”

Take us through the process of starting a poultry business - do you need a lot of money to start? 

“Starting a poultry business does not really require a lot of money – especially for those that are starting from their backyard. A shack or a well-ventilated room will do… depending on how many chickens you want to start farming with.

“I like to refer to my chickens as my babies. Like any infant, you must make sure you take care of them – they get the right temperature, [and] get the right amount of food. At a certain stage in their life, this can be from a day old to maybe when they are about three and a half weeks old, they require light. Usually, for lighting, we use infrared light throughout the night. This light keeps them warm and enables them to eat enough food as they need to grow.

“[Other requirements] are the right food, clean water, their medication and supplements and their bedding so that they don’t get too cold or sick… The bedding can be made from cardboard, sonneblomdoppe and wood shavings. Most importantly, make sure that you buy good chickens from a reputable company.”

Your advice to someone who also wants to farm with chickens? 

“My advice to someone who wants to start a poultry business is to first do a brief feasibility study in your area. Make sure that you market your product even before you start so that people could know about your products. When the chickens are ready you don’t struggle with selling them because the longer they stay, the longer they consume much food and that is eating from your profit. And they must also have patience and love for what they do and have good relationships with their competitors… and agricultural departments.”

Anything else you'd like to add?

“Do not be afraid to ask if there is something you do not understand or do not know. Be spontaneous and do not limit yourself. Experiment and learn. The poultry industry is very broad – there are people who produce the eggs that are hatched; there are people who grow chickens and people who sell chickens. So, don’t just limit yourself to one type of poultry.”

OFM News