19 Feb 2019

The first thing that catches one’s eye when arriving at Mr Tshokolo Ndawana’s backyard poultry farm in Tati Siding is good farm management techniques.

The multi-coloured indigenous chickens are a centre of attraction in this farm.   

The breeds range from potchkoekock, orphinton (buff), to light Sussex. Mr Ndawana also rears Muscovy and Perkin ducks as well as Lavenda Guinea foul (black) and Black Astrolop.

The breeds reportedly develop faster and are resistant to diseases.

They have the ability to withstand harsh conditions with high productivity.

It is also reported that they can achieve 1.5 kilogrammes in about five months when the rest of the indigenous breeds take up to seven months.

The feathering system makes them adjust faster than the time taken by others to acclimatise to any climatic conditions, including the arid and semi-arid conditions.

Mr Ndawana (38) did not despair after he lost his job as a teacher at Selebi Phikwe Senior Secondary School (SPSS).

He ventured into various businesses before settling for backyard chicken business.

He was forced to sell his Dodge Caliber motor vehicle to start the business.

However, it was not easy because he had to sell the vehicle in parts because no one could afford to buy it as a complete machine.

He set up a chicken life cycle production centre starting with the egg in an incubator to a mature bird and back to the egg again. His turnover for chickens is about P3 000 a month.  

“When I look at a chicken, I see money not meat. My backyard chickens have turned into a money spinning venture,” he adds.

Mr Ndawana’s secret for success in poultry farming is that he is hands on and as such does not take the business as a hobby.

“If you minimise costs and maximize production, you can make a lot of money in the business of poultry. Whether you sell meat, live chickens, or both, the money coming in can be worth the time spent,” he added.

As a way of diversifying his business, Mr Ndawana introduced broilers and layers.

Mr Ndawana says it does not need a huge chunck of land to start raising backyard chickens because what is needed is a free space at the backyard.

He said he started with less than 14 chickens but all of them died because of poor management.

He later benchmarked from others who were running the same business.

He then bought a 100 egg incubator and started to incubate eggs. “Incubators are essential to any serious poultry farmer,” he said.

Mr Ndawana explains that poultry farming machineries made life easier and poultry farmers can gain a lot by using them.

He states that poultry farming has become one of the most important aspects of agriculture in Botswana because it is a business which does not dry up.

“In-fact the demand is high in Botswana and most of the people buy chickens in large numbers from outside,” he said.

He also has a similar backyard business in Mogoditshane where he has about 150 indigenous chickens.

He says the business is also doing well.  

Mr Ndawana says good management in poultry farming is the key to success adding that many poultry farmers assume that indigenous chickens can fend on their own especially when put on free range.

But, this is not the case.

He explains that chickens require thorough care; feeding, housing, disease control as well as protection from predators. “I have some dogs that guard against any predators including human beings who want to steal my chickens,” he added.

Mr Ndawana says the most important thing is housing which is a challenge to many farmers who rear chickens adding that poor housing exposes chickens to various risks.

A good chicken house should protect the chickens from the cold and wind, and it should keep away predators such as dogs, wild cats or snakes.  

He said the house should also be spacious enough to reduce congestion, which causes stress in chickens and even cannibalism and pecking.

Mr Ndawana said chickens need proper feeding if a farmer has to get good returns.

He said he feeds his chicken twice a day, in the morning and evening.

In addition, chickens should be provided with clean water at all times.

The water helps to transport feeds to all parts of the body and to maintain their health.

Farmers can also add two to three teaspoonful of EM1 and Aloe Vera solution in the water to improve digestion and provide disease immunity.

Disease control is another aspect of good management because whether indigenous or hybrid, chickens are very prone to diseases.

For a serious poultry farmer, protection is always the first line of defense against diseases.

“Ensure that all your chickens are vaccinated against the most common diseases such as fowl pox and Newcastle,” he said.

Mr Ndawana further stated that a serious poultry farmer should always observe the chickens carefully, several times a day for signs of sickness because sick birds usually stand half asleep at the corner of the house, with ruffled feathers, heads hidden into their wings and with drooping tails.

He said such birds can be isolated from others to prevent the spread of the disease to other.

Mr Ndawana has mentored and coached eight young Batswana who have established themselves as poultry farmers and he now prides himself that

“The wisdom of age is better than the pride of youth”. ENDS