Newbie from South Africa.

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ronott1 said:
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What challenges to you have to raising chickens in South Africa?
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Thank you!
I don't think the natural challenges of raising chickens here are different to anywhere else TBH. The biggest worries really would be:
1) Stock theft (so security is a must).
2) Predators - we have owls in our area, so little chicks make nice snack. Also the occasional Jackal and animals like the Muskeljaatkat (Gennet). The occasional egg-eater snake also inhabits our surrounding areas. So the flock just needs protection in this regard.

There has also been an Avian Influenza scare in some of our provinces.
I hope that answers your question :)
 
AnneDrum said:
Thank you!
I don't think the natural challenges of raising chickens here are different to anywhere else TBH. The biggest worries really would be:
1) Stock theft (so security is a must).
2) Predators - we have owls in our area, so little chicks make nice snack. Also the occasional Jackal and animals like the Muskeljaatkat (Gennet). The occasional egg-eater snake also inhabits our surrounding areas. So the flock just needs protection in this regard.

There has also been an Avian Influenza scare in some of our provinces.
I hope that answers your question :)
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There are differences base on weather. Where I live, it does not freeze so I can have roosters with large combs.

The challenge here is summer. When it gets over 110F we see chickens die here so we either have to use methods to cool them or we only have heat hardy breeds.

I suspect your place needs to be setup for cold--coops will be different and there may be a need to keep water flowing during freezing weather.

Other than that, it is very similar for sure

Edited to add: I forgot that you are in South Africa! Heat may be a problem for you too
 
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ronott1 said:
Edited to add: I forgot that you are in South Africa! Heat may be a problem for you too
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110 F is pretty hot! The max we get here (in our area of SA) is about 36deg. C (97 F) and the minimum recorded temp in the last few years in our area was -10 C (14F), but we've only felt around -5C since living here. In terms of water freezing, it would only happen overnight so we just give fresh water for the day if that happens, or we just remove/smash the layer of ice that may have formed.
Two of the breeds that we have are bred from local breeds so they are pretty well adapted to our climate.
Also really windy where we live so we are constantly having to do some damage control with our roofing and shelters. meh.

You seem to be situated further from the equator than what I am, but then again your weather is probably affected by the desert which makes it so hot?
 
AnneDrum said:
110 F is pretty hot! The max we get here (in our area of SA) is about 36deg. C (97 F) and the minimum recorded temp in the last few years in our area was -10 C (14F), but we've only felt around -5C since living here. In terms of water freezing, it would only happen overnight so we just give fresh water for the day if that happens, or we just remove/smash the layer of ice that may have formed.
Two of the breeds that we have are bred from local breeds so they are pretty well adapted to our climate.
Also really windy where we live so we are constantly having to do some damage control with our roofing and shelters. meh.

You seem to be situated further from the equator than what I am, but then again your weather is probably affected by the desert which makes it so hot?
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We are in a Mediterranean climate and the Summers are like a desert! We are also moderated by the ocean so do not get as cold as expected. Weird place!
 
ronott1 said:
We are in a Mediterranean climate and the Summers are like a desert! We are also moderated by the ocean so do not get as cold as expected. Weird place!
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Well at least the ocean helps! I wish we were closer to the ocean as well.
We live literally 30Km away from a sub-tropical city, but yet our climate is a more dry temperate one. Wish I could just move everything and everyone i love to Kwa-Zulu Natal, which is a lot tropical closer to the ocean! :drool
 
Welcome to BYC :frow I'm from S.A. originally, been living in Ireland since 2015. Your thread title caught my eye, so I thought I'd pop in and say hi.

I had some Boschvelders too and a nearby farmer friend of mine had a huge flock of them. They come in all sorts of colour patterns and varieties and they are lovely birds. As for the whites ones… Well, there was that time I bought Rhode Island Reds from a "breeder" and got a 100 mutt chicks :p As long as they are healthy and lay alright…

What is this about the AI scare/outbreak? I remember the one in the Western Cape (where I lived). That was devastating!
 

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