Chickens In South Africa

Charlotte returns from a trip to the Cape, and has a chicken tale to tell.

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I have been on a cycling trip to South Africa, covering all sorts of diverse terrain from coastal rides to forest trails, mountain tracks and saunters through vineyards and farmland. I saw lots of ostriches, and was on the lookout for any chickens. South Africa does not have many native breeds that I am aware of, and certainly none that have been imported to Britain. The only well-known breed from the whole of Africa that I know of is the Fayoumi from Egypt. I was told about one native breed, the Koekoek, by our tour leader. I have now looked this breed up – it is called the Potchefstroom Koekoek and resembles a Cuckoo Marans being apparently a crossing between a barred Plymouth Rock, a white Leghorn and a black Australorps. Birds have been bred to adapt to conditions in South Africa and maintain good egg production despite not getting much food and having to free range for most of their sustenance.

We did stay in a place in the Stellenbosch (vineyards) region and to my delight we arrived to the sound of cockerels crowing. Later I informed my fellow companions that many of the chickens were roosting in the tree for the night quite close to our sleeping quarters, which did not go down well! At least two of the hens had broods of chicks and I did get some pictures. There was a speckley hen who could have been the aforementioned Koekoek but most were, I think, crossbreeds.