August 29, 2020

 

South African poultry farmers get advanced training in newly built chicken house

 

 

Emerging poultry farmers in South Africa are now able to get hands-on training with the latest chicken farming technologies at an advanced new chicken house built at the KwaZulu-Natal Poultry Institute (KZNPI) in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

 

The new chicken house accommodates older chicks, allowing students to gain experience farming birds at different stages, reports Food for Mzansi.

 

The new facility was built with funding from US-based World Poultry Foundation (WPF) and officially opened earlier this year.

 

Capable of accommodating up to 1,400 birds, the facility had its first consignment of chicks arriving during the COVID-19 lockdown, allowing the KZNPI team to adapt to the new systems before training resumed, as per report.

 

Lindelihle Nxumalo, KZNPI farm manager, said the original, open-sided chicken houses rely on natural ventilation, which has certain drawbacks in hot areas like KwaZulu-Natal, where climate control is difficult to maintain.

 

Equipped with advanced system

 

"This new chicken house is equipped with climate controls, automated feeding systems, and state-of-the-art scales that automatically monitor the birds' weight", Nxumalo said in the report.

 

"This advanced system allows us to get the birds to the optimum weight without feeding them too much. The new chicken house also has cooling pads, which help to keep the birds cool in very hot weather, and thanks to the automated feeding system, these birds are able to feed throughout the night".

 

KZNPI director Tessa de Carle said many emerging farmers who will get training in the new facility will have the chance to use the advanced equipment, allowing them to see and experience the latest technologies.

 

"People who are lucky enough to be trained here may then go on to work for the local South African poultry producers and many are able to start or advance their own small businesses", she said.

 

The new chicken house is part of an ongoing campaign of the WPF to improve capacity among poultry sector stakeholders in South Africa.