Poultry

Glenneis Kriel spoke to poultry industry experts about the challenges facing small-scale producers and ways in which these can be overcome.

Mark Smith produces 270 000 free-range eggs a month on Maralou Farm near East London. Unable to compete on price with eggs produced in battery cage operations, he focuses on offering customers the best quality eggs and service. Mike Burgess reports.

Red Barn free-range chicken and egg farm started from necessity but grew into a passion. In addition to eggs and whole chickens, it also produces speciality products.

It’s crucial for a broiler producer to get floor management right. This will improve the birds’ physical environment, reduce disease and result in better quality broilers. So says free-range poultry producer Kobus Visser, who spoke to Glenneis Kriel.

For emerging poultry farmers, the key to success with day-old chicks is to buy rather than breed them.

To raise healthy and uniform birds in a chicken house, it is essential to maintain optimal heating and ventilation at all times. Sonét Roux, technical advisor at Country Bird Holdings, explains to Wilma den Hartigh what this entails, and how it can help a farmer achieve top production rates.

Jo Spilsbury discusses how the use of chicken trailers has optimised egg production.

South Africa’s quest for global competitiveness has widened the gap between established poultry producers and new entrants. It is imperative to come up with new transformation models. Dr Charlotte Nkuna, head of transformation at the SA Poultry Association, spoke to Jacques Claassen about possible scenarios.

Retired broker, Hennie Lamprecht, runs a profitable, free-range chicken farming operation.

Eucalyptus trees are seen as a threat to native plants and scarce water resources, requiring the eradication of these trees at a considerable cost. Broiler producer Hugh Davison has found a way to turn these trees into a valuable asset – using them to heat up his broiler houses.

Felicity Vonmoos is meeting consumers’ demands for humane egg production.

The right nutrition programme is essential for optimal and cost-effective commercial egg production. Dr Aidan Leek, of multi-national poultry layer genetics company, Hy-Line, explains how to achieve this.