Egg production basics

How does one start and run a successful egg production enterprise? Magda du Toit spoke to two egg producers, who shared valuable insights on how a beginner can maximise efficiency and profits.

- Magda du Toit

FAST FACTS

In South Africa, around 140 eggs per capita are consumed every year.

Record-keeping and careful management are essential for profitable egg production.

Hens must be kept comfortable, therefore good temperature control is an important factor in the laying house.

Eggs are the fourth-largest animal production industry in South Africa after poultry meat, beef and milk. With the country’s per capita consumption at about 140 eggs per annum, it can be profitable to own a layer operation, provided you can supply fresh, safe, top-quality eggs.

Dr Naudé Rossouw, director of Rossgro Eggs, points out that there are certain critical elements that need particular attention in egg production. He is well-qualified to know: Rossgro is a family-owned business that has two eggpacking stations, one on the Highveld and the other in White River, Mpumalanga, as well as its own rearing farms. Here, day-old chicks are raised to point of lay, and are then transferred to Rossgro’s laying farms. The business produces approximately one million eggs a day, and these are distributed across Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

PROPER HOUSING AND FEEDING

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ egg production manual stresses that effective and efficient management techniques are necessary to increase the productivity of the hens and thereby increase income. These entail proper housing and feeding, as well as appropriate rearing and treatment. To remain sustainable, an egg producer also needs to set both growth and production targets.