Ex-teacher embarks on thriving free range chicken breeding project
RETIRED teacher Mr Aggray Moyo of Nketa 9 suburb in Bulawayo has embarked on a thriving free range chicken rearing project at the backyard of his home.
Mr Moyo retired from teaching in 2013 after a career spanning over 30 years which also took him to neighbouring Botswana where he worked for 12 years.
“I have always had interests in agriculture and even during the time I was employed by the Ministry of Education, I would dedicate part of my spare time on working on various agricultural projects.
“I have been rearing free range chickens for sometime but I started rearing them on a commercial basis last year and it’s promising to be a very lucrative venture but since I am starting I am facing challenges to raise adequate financial resources,” said Mr Moyo.
His more than hundred birds include six breeds namely the Black and Blue Australorp, Koekoe, Road Island, Orpington, Boschvelds and White leghorn.
“I rate the Australorp breed as the best because this type of chicken lays 300 or more eggs a year while its cock’s carcass can exceed five kilogrammes,” Mr Moyo said.
The Australorp is a chicken breed of Australian origin, developed as utility breed with a focus on egg laying. It achieved worldwide popularity in the 1920s after the breed broke numerous world records for number of eggs laid and has been a popular breed in the western world since. It is considered the honorary National Chicken Breed of Australia, and the most popular colour of the breed is black, which is the only colour recognised in the United States of America, but blue and white are also recognised in its home country and the Poultry Club South Africa recognises buff, splash, wheaten laced and golden in addition.
“Free range chickens are becoming popular with more and more people now rearing them. However, if one is breeding these types of chickens they shouldn’t rely on commercial feed because by so doing they won’t realise any meaningful returns from their venture.
“One should just make sure the birds have the two key elements which is necessary for their growth and this is energy and protein thus making own feed using maize or small grains and adding a bit of concentrate will be enough,” said Mr Moyo.
Broilers are best raised in confined conditions where disease can be managed through sterilisation, but the indigenous birds can be raised free range as they are less susceptible to the harsh weather and environmental conditions of Zimbabwe.
This often forces farmers in broiler rearing to purchase expensive feeds rather than relying on nature’s abundant feeds, like worms and insects. Although the commercial chicken grows faster and can mature within six weeks, there is a high initial start-up cost and a greater risk.
Apart from rearing indigenous chickens, Mr Moyo also raises guinea fowls and turkeys. He also generates income by hatching eggs for other poultry producers using his large capacity microbiological incubator.
“I hatch eggs for people coming from as far as Esigodini, Ntabazinduna and Tsholotsho,” he said.
The enterprising farmer is looking forward to enhancing his agricultural enterprise through increasing the number to 45 000 birds.
“I approached Bulawayo City Council requesting for land to embark on a massive poultry project whereby I would be rearing about 45 000 birds late last year but to date I’m still to get any response. A number of nongovernmental organisations have also embarked on indigenous chicken projects. Last year Adra (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) was looking for 17 000 indigenous chickens and early this year World Vision also put an advert in the press seeking 645 indigenous chickens. This goes to show that there is a huge market for these chickens,” said Mr Moyo.
Over the past five years or so, numerous traditional food eateries have been opened, while hotels have been putting traditional dishes on their menu. This has served to push demand even in supermarkets as some people prefer to cook for themselves at home instead of spending a small fortune on one meal.
Such is the rising popularity for meals that include free-range chicken popularly known as nkukhu makhaya, guinea fowl, turkey, rabbit and duck meat to go along with traditional starches such as isitshwala or sadza made of sorghum) or rapoko and brown rice.