Poultry

Lesotho poultry farmers are encouraged to improve production practices and align output with market demand. (Image source: Government of Lesotho)

Poultry farmers in Teyateyaneng, Lesotho, have been encouraged to base production decisions on market demand to improve product quality, maintain reliable supplies and strengthen the sustainability of their businesses

The guidance was delivered during a three-day workshop for broiler and layer farmers organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition at the Teyateyaneng Resource Centre. The training introduced participants to the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach.

Agricultural assistant Joalane Mekeleli explained that the SHEP approach encourages farmers to identify potential markets before beginning production, enabling them to tailor their products to customer expectations.

She noted that shortcomings in poultry production practices needed to be addressed, particularly in feeding and farm management, to ensure farmers could meet market requirements. She also urged producers to apply consistent feeding practices and maintain a steady supply of poultry products to support business continuity.

Livestock Area Technical Officer Mrs Itumeleng Lekhafola Masupha provided guidance on selecting appropriate sites for poultry farms, advising farmers to consider future expansion when choosing locations.

She recommended avoiding marshy areas and sites with excessive moisture. Trees close to poultry houses should also be avoided because they can restrict airflow and attract birds that may carry diseases capable of infecting chickens.

Farmers were advised to choose warm sites where electricity or solar power could supply lighting and heating for poultry housing.

Poultry housing and equipment

Masupha said farmers could choose poultry house lengths according to their operational requirements, while recommending a width of 12 metres.

She outlined several housing requirements, including floors designed to prevent water accumulation, sufficient lighting, mesh openings to support ventilation and ceilings that stop rainwater from dripping into the buildings.

Essential equipment for poultry operations includes feeders, drinkers, weighing scales, thermometers and cages for laying hens.

Farmers can select from several heating options, such as gas brooders, electric brooders, infrared heaters, coal stoves and gas heaters. However, Mrs Masupha advised choosing systems that generate as little smoke as possible to protect poultry health.

Other necessary supplies include feed, medication, record-keeping materials such as a book and pen, and cleaning tools including a wheelbarrow and spade.

Chick care, feeding and hygiene

For chick rearing, Masupha recommended preparing brooders measuring between 30 and 60 centimetres and laying bedding material to a depth of five to 10 centimetres.

Suitable bedding can include sawdust or grass, which should be covered with newspaper to prevent chicks from consuming the material.

She stressed that chicks need adequate warmth until they reach three weeks of age, with supplementary heating potentially required during particularly cold conditions.

Maintaining hygiene is also essential to preventing disease. Masupha advised farmers to wash and rinse poultry houses before applying disinfectants to eliminate germs. Daily cleaning, together with the use of sanitisers and footbaths, was encouraged as part of routine biosecurity practices.

Farmers producing eggs were also advised to remove broken eggs before collecting intact ones to minimise the risk of contamination.

Matching products to customer needs

The workshop highlighted the importance of understanding consumer preferences when preparing poultry products for sale. Some buyers may prefer particular chicken portions rather than purchasing whole birds, making it important for farmers to consider demand when deciding how to present their products.

Improving product quality was also identified as a priority for producers seeking to compete in international markets.

The training programme is expected to address feeding practices further and help farmers understand how to engage with different markets, identify their requirements and align production accordingly.

The event brought together more than 30 guests. (Image source: Aviagen)

Aviagen South Africa officially celebrated the opening of its expanded facilities at Schikfontein Farm in Heidelberg, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued investment in South Africa and its commitment to strengthening the country’s poultry sector

The event brought together more than 30 guests, including customers, industry colleagues and government representatives. Among those in attendance were Aviagen South Africa’s distributors – Astral Foods (Ross Poultry Breeders), Arbor Acres South Africa and Rainbow Chickens – underscoring the strong relationships that continue to drive the growth and resilience of South Africa’s poultry industry.

Guests were welcomed by Duard Kleynhans, General Manager, Aviagen South Africa, followed by an opening address from Sergio Illán, President, Aviagen TMEA, before officially opening the facility and touring the expanded operations.

During his speech, Sergio acknowledged Aviagen South Africa’s customers and industry colleagues for the trust they have placed in the business for many years. He highlighted that while the industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience despite disease challenges, rising production costs and global market pressures, continued success will depend on ongoing investment, innovation and collaboration.

Duard highlighted that the expansion reflects Aviagen’s long-term commitment to South Africa and the customers it serves: “This opening represents much more than an expansion of our facilities. It reflects our long-term commitment to supporting our customers with reliable supply, world-class genetics and the expertise they need to grow their businesses. By investing in our facilities, our people and our capabilities, we are strengthening our ability to support sustainable poultry production and contribute to food security across South Africa.”

Representatives from Aviagen South Africa’s distributors also welcomed the investment.

“This investment demonstrates confidence in the future of South African agriculture and reinforces the importance of continued investment in local production, biosecurity and innovation. As a long-standing customer, we value Aviagen South Africa’s commitment to strengthening local breeding capacity and supporting a sustainable and resilient poultry industry,” shared Robert Roszkopf, Managing Director, Agriculture, Astral Foods.

Arno van der Nat, General Manager, Arbor Acres South Africa added: “The level of thought and planning that has gone into the design of these new facilities reflects Aviagen’s long-term commitment to the South African market. This investment provides an important foundation for the continued growth, resilience and sustainability of our poultry industry.”

“The scale of investment, technological sophistication and attention to detail evident throughout the new facilities are truly impressive. Aviagen has created a world-class operation that combines high standards of biosecurity, animal welfare and responsible breeding practices. These facilities strengthen the South African poultry value chain and reinforces the country’s ability to sustainably meet the growing demand for high-quality poultry ”, commented Mbusi Dlamini, Breed & Agriculture Director, Rainbow Chickens.

Pork and beef demand might see contraction.

While cyclical and structural factors will continue to affect animal protein production in 2026, demand will rise by 14% by 2035, said Nan-Dirk Mulder, senior global specialist in animal protein at Rabobank while speaking at AFMA’s 12th Animal Feed Conference at Sun City

With long-term demand mostly driven by poultry and eggs, the world will seek animal protein largely from emerging markets, especially Asia, Latin America and Africa. 

For now, seafood is leading production growth, followed by poultry, as pork and beef might see contraction, marking the first reduction in global terrestrial species output in six years. Mulder said that Rabobank is expecting a tight cattle supply with high prices, with the poultry industry looking strong, especially when considering global animal protein consumption.

“The animal protein market will grow by 1,4% per year, and in 2026 this growth will be driven by poultry, eggs, and seafood,” he said.

“While we expect feed costs to remain steady, in both mature and developing markets, a focus on increasing efficiency and productivity will be critical at the farm and processor level.”

Geopolitical volatilities are impacting trade policies, and new agreements can provide a boost to the industry.

“El Niño weather risk is rising for the rest of the year, and although the phenomenon leads to drier conditions in the Southern Hemisphere, it normally also leads to more bullish prices,” he said. 

Retech provides integrated automated layer farming systems.

Poultry farm modernisation solution provider for Nigerian farmers, Retech Farming, can convert traditional layer houses into modern automated systems

The company provides integrated automated layer farming systems. Higher-density housing, automated equipment and controlled production environments replace open-style Type A simple cages with a limited capacity for 5,000 chickens. 

While this works for small-scale startups requiring low initial investment and technical requirements for quick construction, this conventional method relies on natural ventilation, manual feeding and egg collection. It comes with stocking density and space limitations, even when labour costs remain high. There's no way of contolling temperature stability and humidity, making egg production uncertain and prone to diseases.

Retech Farming offers:

- Traditional chicken house assessment

- Chicken house design upgrade

- Steel structure construction

- H-type layer hen cage system

- Automatic feeding, watering, manure removal and egg collection system

- Environmental control system

- Installation and commissioning

These services support the transition from traditional poultry houses to integrated automated layer farming systems.

From 5,000 traditional open A-type cages to 50,000 chickens in a single building increases breeding scale by 10 times. The closed H-type multi-tier fully automatic layer cages maximise land utilisation through cascading design. This dramatically boosts egg production per unit area while reducing unit egg production costs.

Retech’s closed steel structure chicken coop, combined with an automatic environmental control system, can isolate wild birds and mosquitoes, reduce the risk of disease invasion such as avian influenza, and provide more precise temperature and humidity control.

This approach can help stabilise the egg production rate and extend the peak egg production period. 

Retech aims to revolutionise Nigeria’s egg-laying hen industry by ensuring eggshell cleanliness, size uniformity, and uninteruppted supply. Its real-world farm upgrade project will help core consumer markets like Lagos and Abuja meet increasingly stringent sourcing standards.