Automatic bell drinkers still require some work though – you will need to clean them every morning – chickens are pretty messy creatures and tend to get food and dung in the feeders. The best feature of the drinkers is the fact that the water feeds automatically – all you need to do is make sure that your header tank is full – and if the tank has a ball regulator and is connected to your pump – it is very easy. As the chickens grow you can raise the bell drinkers – they should be at about shoulder height of the bird – you don’t want the chicken bending down to far or they will mess water on the litter.

Blockages and leaks

Leaks are usually caused by the fittings not been tight enough – but another reason is that your water has some kind of material in it – small stones or mud. The water you feed to your chickens through the system should be clean – clean enough for you to drink – otherwise the chickens will get sick. If your poultry farm is taking water from a borehole then make sure you are not pulling up small stones as these will cause the drinker pipes to block and malfunction. If this happens it is not difficult to fix – you can merely flush the lines out. If your farm has water scale (the same stuff that clogs up your kettle) then you will need to flush the watering system regularly – this is equally true for nipple drinking systems and bell drinking systems. The video shows bell drinkers and how they work – the poultry house was built for a co-operative of people who got a government loan.

You should know that chickens can go without food for a while – but will die very quickly without water, especially day old chicks (they also rely on heat to survive). Your baby chicks will not use the bell drinkers in the first week – they are too small – you will need chick founts which will stand on the floor. After a week or so you can remove the founts and clean them for the next cycle. After your chickens in a broiler house are sold you will need to clean all the equipment thoroughly – the drinkers should be taken down and scrubbed with a disinfectant and the left to dry. Make sure you use a high power water sprayer to clean around the pipes and fittings in the chicken house – this is where disease can build up – and your next batch of baby chickens will get sick if the house is not very well disinfected and allowed to dry out – usually the house should stand for about a week with the curtains closed so that the disinfectant can work and the poultry house can dry out properly.

So … the best way to give chicken water in a small poultry house is by using bell drinkers – they automatically give water to chickens from a header tank – you can watch the video of drinkers in action to see how easy it actually is – and they are not too expensive. Each bell drinker will provide up to 80 chickens with water.

The following is a short list of institutions that offer funding for entrepreneurs. It is not comprehensive. Government is in the process of restructuring and streamlining its funding programmes and is moving them from the Departments in which they are lodged to the Department of Economic Development. It is hoped that the process will result in easier, simpler and speedier access to funds from Government.

 1.         Business Partners Limited

Business Partners is an investment company for small and medium enterprises. The company invests between R250 000 and R15 million in SMEs across all sectors, with the exception of farming, on-lending and non-profit organisations.

Investment financing is offered for businesses at all stages of development, including start-ups, expansions, outright purchases, management buy-outs, management buy-ins, franchises, tenders and contracts. The company also manages a number of specialist funds, which provide investment financing for defined-profile entrepreneurs.

Business Partners also has a range of support services for the entrepreneur. This includes property management consultants, mentors who are allocated according to the company’s needs and access to other expertise need to ensure the success of a business.

Contact:

E-mail:                          enquiries@businesspartners.co.za

Web:                            www.businesspartners.co.za

Tel: Cape Town:            021 464 3600

 Durban:                 031 240 7700

 Johannesburg:       011 470 3111

2.         Commercial Banks

The commercial banks have specialist SME divisions, providing finance for qualifying entrepreneurs. Visit the banks’ websites to find out about their products and services, and their criteria to obtain finance.

ABSA Bank:                  www.absa.co.za

First National Bank:       www.fnb.co.za

Nedbank:                      www.nedbank.co.za

Standard Bank:             www.standardbank.co.za

3.         Khula Enterprise Finance

Khula Enterprise Finance Limited is an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) established in 1996 to facilitate access to finance for SMMEs. It is one of the funds being transferred to the Department of Economic Development. Khula provides assistance through various delivery channels. These include commercial banks, retail financial intermediaries (RFIs) and micro credit outlets (MCOs).

Contact details for some of the Khula products are not available. Where this is the case, the following contact details can be used:

Contact:

E-Mail:                          helpline@khula.org.za

Web:                            www.khula.org.za

Tel:                               (012) 394 5560/5900

Toll free:                       0800 118815

 3.1  Small Business Growth Trust Fund

This non-sector specific fund is a partnership between Khula and Fabvest Investment Holdings (FABCOS). It provides:

• Finance start-ups, expansions, bridging finance and asset based finance to qualifying SMEs
• Qualifying SMEs with the necessary infrastructural support and resources
• Fosters entrepreneurship within the SME sector and
• Reaches out to SMEs in priority provinces of South Africa
• Migrates Black businesses from the informal sector to formal sector

Loans range between R10 000 and R3million per portfolio entity with a repayment period not exceeding 5 years.

Contact Details

Tel: (011) 421 2939
Cell: 082 901 2813
Email: info@sisonkefund.co.za

3.2  Izibulo SME Fund

The Izibulo SME Fund is a partnership between Khula and Metropolitan Life Limited and The Median Fund (Pty) Ltd. Its purpose is to:

• Provide early-stage funding to SMEs (improve access to finance);
• Provide SMEs with necessary infrastructural support and resources;
• Foster entrepreneurship for men and women in the SME sector;
• Reach out to SMEs in far-flung areas of South Africa;
  • Encourage meaningful economic participation of historically disadvantaged South Africans;
  • Invest in equity and debt, loans, loans convertible into shares (ordinary or preference shares);
  • Purchase shares (ordinary or preference shares);
    • Purchase debentures or convertible debentures (convertible into ordinary or preference shares);
  • Purchase warrants, options and other securities of, or relating to portfolio companies;
    • Provide consulting services, skills facilitation and development to portfolio companies;
    • Provide working capital, expansion capital, the purchase of capital assets, refinancing of existing debt obligations;

Excluded investments include buy-back/purchase of shares from a third party in the portfolio company.

3.3  Identity Development Fund (IDF)

This non sector – specific fund is a partnership between Khula and Identity Development Fund (Pty) Ltd (IDF). Its objectives are to:

• Create long-term growth from profitable portfolio investments in SMEs
• Promote BEE (black women and youth)
• Provide both debt and or equity funding (50%/50%)

Repayment periods range between 3-5 years for start-up/early stage companies of R250 000 to R3million, emerging /MBO and expansion of R3million to R7.5million and R7.5million to R30million for community projects.

Contact Details

            Tel:                   (011) 351 2900

Fax:                  (011) 351 8900

3.4  Enablis Acceleration Fund

The Enablis Acceleration Fund is a partnership between Enablis Financial Corporation SA (Pty) Ltd and Khula Enterprise Finance Limited. It is currently capitalised at R50m. Its purpose is to:

• Improve access to early-stage funding to SMEs
• Reach out to SMEs in remote/rural provinces
• Create new sustainable jobs.

It offers equity and or debt instruments over loan periods that do not exceed 60 months.

Eligibility:

• South African SMEs that are accredited by Enablis Entrepreneurial Network
  • Black owned and women entrepreneurs for start-ups and/or expansion of the business.
  • SMEs involved in all sectors – ICT, transport, tourism, agriculture and services industry.
  • SMEs that need working capital and or asset finance.

3.5  Khula-Akwandze Fund

The Khula-Akwandze Fund (KAF) is a joint venture between Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd (Khula) and Akwandze Agricultural Finance (Pty) Ltd (Akwandze). Its purpose is to provide agricultural development loans to small and medium scale sugarcane growers and contractors within the sugarcane production value chain in the Nkomazi region of the Mpumalanga Province. The Fund is managed by Akwandze.

The following loan instruments are offered to meet financing requirements:

• Crop establishment/re-establishment
• Ratoon management (crop maintenance)
• Purchase and installation of above ground irrigation equipment
• Installation of fixed irrigation infrastructure
• Electricity supply
• Contractor bridging loans and
• Right-to-occupy (RTO) rental bridging loans.

Eligibility

The beneficiary must be a registered Mpumalanga sugarcane grower with the South African Sugar Association;

• Have a Cane Delivery Agreement (CDA) with Tsb Sugar
  • Have authority to occupy the land they are farming (freehold, leasehold, right-to-occupy)
  • Be a citizen of the Republic of South Africa
  • Be black owned (>50% black owned) or black empowered (>25% black owned)
  • Be viable and creditworthy, or
    • A registered contractor with Tsb Sugar that provides services to growers (e.g. cane cutting and cane haulage).

In addition, the beneficiary must be:

• A citizen of the Republic of South Africa
• Black owned (>50% black owned) or black empowered (>25% black owned) and
• Viable and creditworthy.

Loan Size

Depending on the type of agricultural activity being financed, the maximum loan limits for the different loan instruments range from R1,300 to R15,500 per hectare.

Contact Details:

Akwandze Agricultural Finance (Pty) Ltd Tsb Sugar Mill, Mhlati Farm Malelane, 1320

Tel: Malelane – 013 791 1396 / Komatipoort – 013 723 4247

Fax:Malelane – 013 791 1175

3.6  Anglo-Khula Mining Fund

Anglo-Khula Mining Fund is a joint venture between Anglo American plc and Khula Enterprise Finance to provide financial assistance to junior mining projects.

Product

·         Equity and or debt instrument with individual investments between R1m and R20m per project

• Equity stake will not exceed 49% of the issued share capital of the investee company.

Who qualifies?

• The owners of the investee company must be involved on a permanent basis, in the day-to-day management and operations of the investee company
• The owners of the investee company must contribute to the investee company from their own resources to ensure commitment and risk sharing
• The investee company shall comply with all necessary legal requirements as well as Anglo American’s standards and procedures regarding environmental and safety policies
• Deal flow of the investee company should emanate primarily from contracts between the investee company and Anglo and its subsidiaries.

3.7  Khula Credit Indemnity Scheme

The scheme provides access to finance to people who wish to start or expand small to medium sized businesses but do not have sufficient collateral / security to support facilities provided by participating banks. The scheme covers facilities from R10 000 to R3 million.

Who qualifies?

• Owner-managed businesses – the owner should be involved in the day-to-day running of the business on a full-time basis
• Business activity must be situated in the Republic of South Africa
• Business must be conducted with a profit motive and be economically viable
• The borrower must be able to repay the bank facility
  • Individual or person holding a controlling interest must be a citizen of the Republic of South Africa
  • Borrower with proven and sufficient entrepreneurship, knowledge, skills and experience directly related to the nature of the business
  • The entrepreneur must provide own contribution towards a start-up or expansion of the business

Access is via any of the following retail financial intermediaries:

• Nedbank Ltd
• ABSA Bank Ltd
• First National Bank Ltd
• Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd
  • Khula Regional Offices for assistance with a business plan development and/or advice on which institution supports the scheme. The financial institution will assess the business plan and facilities application in terms of its lending criteria.

3.8  Non-Bank Retail Financial Intermediaries

Non-bank Retail Financial Intermediaries are independent organisations or companies, which are lent money by Khula on a wholesale basis to on-lend to SMEs. Since RFIs are obligated to repay Khula, they use their own lending criteria to on-lend Khula`s funding. However, each RFI has to contribute towards the achievement of Khula`s developmental impact objectives, such as providing funding to SMEs which are black owned, women owned and from rural areas. Khula restricts its RFIs to on-lending a minimum of R10 000 and a maximum of R3 million per SME.

Purpose of RFIs

• To provide a funding alternative to SMEs, who would otherwise not be able to obtain funding from the commercial banks;
• To provide financing solutions to SMEs operating in niche markets, where traditional financial products would otherwise not be able to meet the financial requirements; and
• To provide Khula with a vehicle to facilitate access to finance to previously non-bankable SMEs operating in rural areas.

Geographic Spread of Existing RFIs

Khula currently has a network of non-bank RFIs represented in Gauteng, Kwa Zulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Although there are RFI branches in Gauteng, Kwa Zulu-Natal and the Western Cape, priority is given to provinces other than the three latter provinces.

Contact:

E-Mail:              helpline@khula.org.za

Web:                www.khula.org.za

Tel:                   (012) 394 5560/5900

Toll free:           0800 118815

4.         Communities Fund and Small Business Hub Programme and Small Business Hub network

The programme supports small and medium enterprises, facilitating entrepreneurial opportunities and the subsequent creation of jobs in communities located in the vicinity of Anglo American Mines.

Purpose

The fund assists entrepreneurs with seed and working capital through loan finance of up to R1 million per project at preferential interest rates. Beneficiaries must operate in Anglo’s business unit areas and comply with the black economic empowerment (BEE) criteria set by the Mining Charter.

The Communities Fund works hand in glove with a network of 13 Small Business Hubs which are staffed and financed by Anglo’s platinum, coal, iron ore and diamond businesses and are located in their respective areas of operation.

While the fund assists micro enterprises with seed and working capital, the hubs extend a guiding hand to entrepreneurs at walk-in centres.

These hubs offer practical support to emerging business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in the form of business plan assistance and management training and coaching. The hubs also offer telecommunications, internet, printing and meeting facilities while giving entrepreneurs advice on the day-to-day running of their businesses.

The Communities Fund provides loan funding of up to R1 million per project. Businesses applying for finance must operate within 50 kilometres or within the labour sending area of an Anglo American mining operation serviced by a hub. The entrepreneur must be a member of the local community.

Contact:

SBH Team                                Lizette Moll                   Fax:      086 656 4713

National representative:             Henry Snyman               Tel:       083 527 2123

www.smallbusinesshub.co.za

5.         Industrial Development Corporation – (IDC)

The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd (IDC) is a self-financing, national Development Finance Institution that promotes economic growth and industrial development in South Africa.

5.1        IDC Gro-E Scheme:      The IDC is investing R10-billion over the next five years through its Gro-E Scheme. It offers financial support to start-up businesses, including funding for buildings, equipment and working capital. It also funds companies wanting to expand provided that they show an ability to create jobs and operate in sectors supported by the IDC which include:

• Green industries, which include renewable energy, energy efficiency, pollution mitigation, waste management and recycling, and biofuels
• Agricultural value chain, including agro-processing
• Manufacturing, focusing on advanced manufacturing; automotive, components, medium and heavy commercial vehicles manufacturing; clothing textiles, footwear and leather, forestry, paper and pulp, and furniture; metals fabrication, capital and transport equipment; pharmaceuticals; plastics and chemicals
• Mining value chain, including downstream mineral beneficiation, mining and mining technologies
• Tourism and high-level services, which includes business process services and tourism
• Media and motion pictures, which has to do with media pictures production, the media value chain of broadcasting (radio and television), media expansion including new media, music value chain, and film production and animation and
• The knowledge economy, to do with health care, information and communications technology and biotechnology.

Criteria:

• Start-up businesses, including funding for buildings, machinery and working capital;
• Existing businesses for expansionary purposes;
• Businesses that demonstrate economic merit and have prospects of acceptable profitability to be able to service their obligation;
• For the duration of the funding period, businesses whose maximum cost per job does not exceed R500 000 relative to the total funding required;
• Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment certification from an accredited verification agency, where applicable; and
  • Businesses operating or expanding in South Africa.

Loans are given at prime less 3% with a minimum of R1-million and a maximum of R1-billion per project.

Contact:

Email:                           callcentre@idc.co.za.

Website:                       www.idc.co.za.

Call Centre:                   0860 693 888

1. 6.             South African Investment Network

This is an online platform that connects entrepreneurs seeking business funding with “angel” investors looking for investment. They maintain that they have access to R83 billion to invest. They connect global and local investors and entrepreneurs.

Contact:

Website:                                   www.investmentnetwork.co.za.

1. 7.             Sasfin Private Equity

Sasfin provides private equity funding for entrepreneurs. It is a versatile form of funding that allows enterprises of any size to unlock their potential without burdening them with excessive debt. Sasfin Private Equity invests its own capital in the client’s business and also provides support and guidance to grow the value of the companies in which they invest in the form of strategic insight and, where necessary, operational, financial and governance input.

Contact:

Email:                                      msegal@sasfin.com

Web:                                        www.sasfin.com.

Tel:                                           011 445 8001.

8.         The International Tourism Marketing Assistance Scheme (ITMAS)

ITMAS provides partial compensation to businesses for certain costs incurred for activities aimed at promoting tourism to South Africa. It assists South African companies to market their tourism products in foreign countries by way of brochures, manuals, multimedia presentations, computer-based marketing information or any other international marketing materials. Reimbursement is provided for the design, compilation, production, printing, reprinting and distribution of material to market the products internationally. Assistance will only be provided for materials that were specifically produced to market tourism products in foreign countries.

Contact:

Department of Tourism to register as participants in the scheme.

Email:                                                    callcentre@tourism.gov.za
Switch Board Number:                       012 444 6000

Switch Board Fax:                              012 444 7000

Physical Address:
17 Trevena Road
Tourism House
Sunnyside
Pretoria
0001

Postal Address
Private Bag X424
Pretoria
0001

9.         African Contractors Finance Corporation (Pty) Ltd

A Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution

42 Bath Avenue
Johannesburg,

Gauteng 2196
South Africa

Tel:      011 256 9400

10.        Business Finance Promotion Agency (BFPA)

The BFPA has several products.

10.1      Impact Bridging Financing

Funding is provided for emerging and established contractors in the form of bridging finance and performance guarantees for businesses in the construction industry.

10.2      Khula Emerging Contractors Fund.

Financnce is aimed at departrmetn of Public works and other government contracts associated with infrastrucuture development.

10.3      Smart Choice Order financing

This scheme does not require collateral and payments are ceded to the Business Finance Promotion Agency

10.4      BFPA Classic Loan

Term loans up to R150 000 over a maximum period of 3 years offered

10.5      Flexi Payroll Based Loan

Personal loans based on payroll deductions and salary advances up to  R5 000

11.        National Youth Development Agency: National Youth Fund

The fund aims to mainstream and integrate youth development for sustainable livelihoods by initiating, facilitating, implementing, coordinating and monitoring youth development interventions aimed at reducing youth unemployment and promoting social cohesion.

Requirements:

• Youth (35 and younger) must hold greater than 50% of the shares in the company;
• Must be a previously disadvantaged South African youth
• The youth must be operationally involved in the business;
• Must demonstrate commitment to the venture;
• The venture must be economically viable.
• The following types of ventures are excluded from funding: Gambling, Tobacco Property development and illegal practices.

Contact:

Call Centre:       Tel:       08600 96884                 Fax:      086 606 6563

12.        The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank)

The bank is a development finance institution (DFI), wholly owned by Government, whose mandate is to support, promote and facilitate the development and transformation of the agricultural sector. It has a responsibility to support Government’s efforts to increase access to land, provide support for emerging farmers and raise rural incomes.

Products and Services

12.1        Mortgage Loans, including loans to well-established commercial farmers or agri-businesses that own fixed agricultural property and want to buy land, consolidate their debts, and or other purposes linked to agriculture.

12.2      Special Mortgage Bonds for Farmers who were previously denied the right to buy land and/or who

• Have the potential to become successful farmers
• Own land in towns or cities can get Special Mortgage Bonds
• Are historically disadvantaged and are first time buyers of agricultural land

12.3      Medium Term Loans inthe form of cash credit accounts. Clients’ financing are aligned with and according to their agricultural needs.

12.4      Installment Sale Finance whichprovides an option for farmers who want to buy movable farming assets and equipment.

12.5      Installment Sale Finance (Livestock)whichoffers clients an opportunity to purchase large breeding livestock (e.g. bulls, cows).

12.6      Establishment Loan for perennial crops, typically for establishing sugar cane plantations, citrus and deciduous fruit orchards, timber plantations and vineyards for table and wine grapes.

12.7      Short term (seasonal) loans whichare tailored to meet important financing needs in the agricultural production cycle including the provision of advances for crop intakes, production requirements, production credit and other related services that includes the handling, manufacturing, packing, processing, storage, transport and marketing of agricultural products.

Contact:               

Email: info@landbank.co.za

While chicken farming may be a case of following the basics – it is how you do the basic, and looking for the small changes in your flock. Small changes for you as a human are sometimes big changes for a chicken – a drop of 2 degrees in temperature, for instance, can kill all you baby chicks in a broiler house. Having your chicken house face the wrong way can result in you spending unnecessary money on insulation for your poultry house, and having to install fans. The front of the poultry house, where the door is, should face the rising or setting sun. This will mean that the sun never shines directly onto your curtains or the curtain opening.

Noticing small changes in your chickens, especially when it comes to disease, can save you thousands of Rands – if you catch poultry disease early then you have a good chance of fighting it. Little things like noticing an ammonia smell in your poultry house will inform you that the litter is wet – and if you sort that out quickly it will harm your broilers. If you see your chickens walking on their elbows – then it too late and they will already have a problem – wet litter. Of course if you were paying attention to your chickens and the house you would have picked up early on that the litter was wet – be it from a leaking bell drinker or a dripping nipple on a nipple line. Or perhaps your worker is just being careless when he cleans out the drinkers?

Speaking with other chicken farmers can help you to avoid many of the basic mistakes – the right tip from the right person will help you immensely. That is where the poultry forum is so useful – there are new chicken farmers, experienced chicken farmers, poultry suppliers and a hole host of knowledgeable people in the chicken industry talking and answering questions – if you are an experienced poultry farmer, and are perhaps looking for a place to sell your chickens, or perhaps a place to buy poultry – you may very well find the information on the poultry site.

So – join us to talk poultry, find others who are keen to discuss chicken farming – the poultry forum for small farmers and large farmers alike. The discussion board ahs participants from many countries around the world – but most are South African – and many of them have raised money through government grants and government funding – they can help you raise the money you need. With the right contacts and the right poultry business plan it is quite possible for anyone to start a successful chicken farm – from 200 chickens to 20 000 chickens – whether they be layers for egg production or broilers for meat production.

A brand new design for small chicken farmers – this latest yellow door layer house from Chicken Shack Agencies.

This great looking chicken house is specially designed with the small egg producer in mind. Layer house designed for holding the new generation layer cages need to be wider and higher – and this poultry house has it all.

Features of Yellow Door Layer House

• 2.5m side roof height – allowing 2 tier layer cages to easily fit without being too close to the roof.
• Low kick plates – allowing an extra high curtain openings for great cooling properties and easy litter drying
• Lots of space around the layer cages allowing for an egg trolley or wheel barrow to easily move around the layer cages.
• New generation layer cages with 7 bird bays.
• Nipple pipes and feeding troughs for simple and labour efficient feeding and drinking.
• Small water tanks on starter section of layer cages for easy medication of hens.
• Winched curtain system using robust geared winches.
• Fully welded steel structure using 30mm x 30mm angle iron.
• Thick galvanised sheeting – 0.5mm thick.
• Manifold water system with tank on roof.

Yellow Door Layer House

This layer house can be erected and assembled anywhere you like – The chicken house can be put up in remote locations – even if you have no electricity or water during the building phase. Perfect for small chicken farmers and emerging poultry farmers. Available in 12m x 4m, 16m x 4m, 18m x 4m, 21m x 4m and 30m x 4m.

New layer cages

If you are thinking of egg farming in South Africa this layer house will cover all bases.

Extra features for free range egg farmers and organic egg farmers

The Yellow Door Layer house can be converted to a free range chicken house or an organic chicken house. By adding free range flaps, or free range pop holes it is easy to start raising free range chickens or organic chickens.

Layer cage - 2 tier

The second part of the later cage is called a follower cage and just has a feeding trough and a nipple line. The layer cages are lined up in a row down the length of the layer house and the nipple line connects all the layer cages in that row.

A small farmer layer house must be at least 4m wide so that there is space around each row of layer cages to push an egg collection trolley and so that the layer house can be properly cleaned. A good layer house will be higher than a broiler house to accommodate the double tier layer cages (layer cages are generally 2 tiers or 3 tiers in larger poultry houses). The layer house will also have a larger curtain opening (with a winch) than a broiler house. Chickens in a layer cage cannot move around, and are very close to each other – this means that it can get very hot in a layer poultry house. The larger curtain opening allows more air to circulate and therefore the house will be cooler. The litter of chicken dropping fall to the floor through the layer cage mesh, and should be cleaned out regularly. A curtain opening that drops very close to the floor allows the litter to quickly dry.

A layer house is managed in a similar way to a broiler house, the layer cages just make it easy to collect eggs and to feed and water the hens. The other option if you wish to be kinder to the chickens are nest boxes. Nest boxes allow the chickens a lot more freedom as they can walk around the house. The hens will learn to lay in the nest boxes – although one often gets floor eggs or B grade eggs. Layer cages are widely used in South Africa in small poultry layer houses and large chicken houses. All layer houses with layer cages should have fans, min max thermometers, foot baths and thermometers to measure humidity. If you are using nest boxes a separate nipple drinking system will need to be installed – or you will use water founts or bell drinkers and tube feeders. In large layer houses, a chain feeding system will be used in conjunction with a nipple drinking system. Layer cages. or battery cages for chickens,  are manufactured in South Africa and are generally of very good quality. Layer cages can be purchased from Chicken Shack Agencies. Layer cages or battery cages require little maintenance.Battery cage farming is illegal in Europe, But layer cages for chickens farming is still legal in most of Africa and South Africa. A battery cage for chickens or egg cages or chicken cages or poultry cages for layer houses are all considered battery farming.

When heating a chicken house you have several options – Gas heaters, electric brooders and a thing called a Heatco – which uses coal to heat and electricity to ran the fans that distribute the heat.

Gasolec chicken heater

Radiant heaters are gas heaters and electric heaters and the chickens move in and out of the hot spot that the gas brooder throws. A Heatco moves hot air through the poultry house – which means you have to heat the whole house instead of just the places where the chickens are – it also needs to be well monitored as the chickens cannot get away from the heat – as in a gas brooder.

Some questions to ask the chicken farmer:

1. Look and see that the coop is level – or if the structure was merely dumped on site.
2. Ask if the farmer got any training on the equipment – how to use the gas heaters and the automatic drinkers – these are not difficult to use but do require some basic training.
3. Look at the quality of the concrete floor – find out who did the slab – was it the farmer or the poultry house manufacturer? Did the slab or topping have plastic sheeting placed underneath to stop vegetation from growing through the floor?
4. Look at the quality of the winching system and the winch?
5. Check the quality of the curtaining – is it UV protected?
6. Look at the welds on the steel frame – are they good and is the house properly painted to protect against rust?
7. Has the house got a built in water tank with a manifold system to feed water to the drinkers?
8. Does the house have insulation – did the farmer ask for insulation?
9. Is the chicken house facing the correct direction – North South in South Africa is incorrect – the door should face east or west – depending on the wind and other factors on the farm such as storage and admin offices.
10. Does the chicken house have a foot bath and was the farmer advised on the right chemicals and procedures?
11. Did the supplier supply live day old chickens or layers – and if so were they correctly inoculated against disease?
12. Did the farmer get the option to upgrade the thickness of the roofing – most coops use 0.27 thick material to save costs – but in the long run this is not advisable.
13. Does the structure have tie downs to guard against high winds? – and how deep do the steel pegs go into the ground?
14. If the farmer is in a very hot area he should have poultry fans – was he offered fans and are these industrial strength fans?

poultry coop being built

To get the best deal on a poultry coop  you will need to deal with a company that supplier and makes poultry equipment and puts up poultry coops – this way you get the best advice and the best deal on the chicken equipment. You will also get back and spares at a better price – if you don’t have poultry insurance you will at the very least need a good poultry company to help you. Don’t be fooled that just because the steel construction company can put up a steel structure that it is a chicken coop or poultry coop. Buy chicken coops and chicken house game meat from supplier in South Africa.

Tube feeder

Bell drinkers, tube feeders, winches and min max thermometers are just some of the items. Over the years these items will need servicing and repairing – sometimes replacing. Buy from a recognised poultry equipment dealer who can offer back up service and poultry spares. Going the cheap way in the beginning is likely to catch up with you down the line – When something goes wrong in your chicken house you need a company that can respond immediately and that carries spares. A chicken waits for no man and if your fans or brooder heaters break down or your curtaining systems stop working the broilers or layers will not survive either the high temperatures or the low temperatures.