Roadrunners Business Plan

Roadrunners Business Plan 2016
Table of Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 3
Mission, Objectives and Keys to success ...................................................................................................... 4
Mission ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Vision......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Objectives ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Core Values ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Keys to Success ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Company Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Potential Products..................................................................................................................................... 6
Ownership ................................................................................................................................................. 6
Company Structure ................................................................................................................................... 9
Operational Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 12
Chicken Housing ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Equipment ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Getting Started........................................................................................................................................ 16
Health ...................................................................................................................................................... 21
Feed......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Chickens and egg production .................................................................................................................. 30
Breeds ..................................................................................................................................................... 37
Operational Strategy ................................................................................................................................... 40
Production Cycle ..................................................................................................................................... 40
Marketing Strategy ..................................................................................................................................... 43
Market Analysis........................................................................................................................................... 46
Demand ................................................................................................................................................... 46
Market Segmentation ............................................................................................................................. 46
Industry Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 49
Competition and Buying Patterns ........................................................................................................... 50
SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................................................. 52
PEST Analysis ............................................................................................................................................... 54
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Financial Statements ................................................................................................................................... 56
Start-up Costs.......................................................................................................................................... 56
Pro Forma Income Statement ................................................................................................................. 58
Pro Forma Cash flow Statement ............................................................................................................. 62
Pro Forma Balance Sheet ........................................................................................................................ 63
Break Even Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 64
Payback Period Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 64
Risk Analysis ................................................................................................................................................ 65
Potential Sources of Finance....................................................................................................................... 69
Equity Financing ...................................................................................................................................... 69
Debt Financing ........................................................................................................................................ 70
Top reasons for failure of poultry business in Zimbabwe........................................................................... 72
Directory ..................................................................................................................................................... 74
Other Business Plans .......................................................................................................................................

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Executive Summary
Our Poultry Farm rears roadrunner chickens and supplies them to restaurants, takeaways
and hotels in Harare, Zimbabwe. The roadrunner chickens are sold as live birds. The farm is
located 30km from Harare, along the Harare-Kirkman road.
Most important to us is our financial success and we believe this will be achieved by offering
high-quality roadrunners while minimizing costs. We have created financial projections based on
our experience and knowledge of the area. With a start-up expenditure of $15,500 we can
generate $20,000 in sales by the end of the first year, and produce good net profits.

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Mission, Objectives and Keys to success
Mission
Our mission is to provide high quality chicken meat and healthy roadrunners to customers at
affordable prices. We value our relationships with current and future customers and hope to
communicate our appreciation to them through our outstanding, guaranteed product quality,
personal service, and efficient delivery. Our commitment to our customers and the country
of Zimbabwe will be reflected through honest and responsible business.
Vision
To produce high quality free range chicken that can be marketed to the whole of Zimbabwe
Objectives
The objectives of our Poultry Farm are:
 Achieve first year sales of above $20 000.
 Establish strategic relationships with 5-10 restaurants, takeaways and hotels in Harare,
Zimbabwe during the first year.
 Establish a Discount Club that will build customer loyalty.
 To develop a sustainable farm, surviving off its own cash flow.
Core Values
 Customer satisfaction
 Commitment to achieving results
 Sustainability
 Corporate Social Responsibility
 Employment Creation
 Innovation

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 Integrity
Keys to Success
The keys to success for our Poultry farm are:
 Our discount Club, which is a program that will create customer loyalty.
 Effectively communicating, to current and potential customers, our position as a

differentiated provider of the highest quality roadrunners in Zimbabwe.
 Efficient production of the roadrunner chickens while minimizing costs

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Company Summary
Our Poultry Farm rears roadrunner chickens and supplies them to restaurants, takeaways
and hotels in Harare, Zimbabwe. The roadrunner chickens are sold as live birds. The farm is
located 30km from Harare, along the Harare-Kirkman road.
Potential Products
Live & Dressed Roadrunners
You can sell live and dressed roadrunners to the market. The market price of the live birds will
range from $7-$10.
Eggs
You can sell roadrunner eggs to the market. The market price for eggs is $5 a crate.
Ownership
You must choose a legal structure for your poultry business, and there are 3 options you might
consider. The structure you choose will depend on the size of your business, along with your
personal circumstances and how much you want to grow the business. Keep in mind that if you
need to, you can change your business structure later on if you find that a new structure will meet
your needs better.
Sole Trader
You can operate your poultry farm as a Sole Trader. A sole trader is a person trading on their
own. The sole trader controls, manages and owns the business, is personally entitled to all profits
and is personally liable for all business taxes and debts. As a sole trader you can usually begin
the business without following many formal or legal processes to establish it. You will employ
other people to help run the business.
The advantages of operating your business as a sole trader are that it is a simple set up and
operation, you retain complete control of your assets and business decisions, there are
fewer reporting requirements, and any losses incurred by your business activities, may be offset

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against other income earned (such as your investment income or wages). It is also relatively easy
to change your legal structure if the business grows, or if you wish to wind things up. The
disadvantages are unlimited liability which means all your personal assets are at risk if things go
wrong, and it is also harder to raise the start-up capital when you are alone.
Partnerships
In a partnership, two or more people run a business together. Each partner shares responsibility
for running the business, shares in any profit or loss equally, unless the partnership agreement
states otherwise, and is liable for any debt within the partnership. A partnership is relatively
inexpensive to set up and operate. It is wise to establish your partnership with a formal written
partnership agreement.
The advantage of a partnership is that it is easier to raise the start-up capital, as all the partners
will contribute towards the start-up capital. If 2 or more of the partners are actively involved in
the business, there will be an advantage of skills diversification, whereby one might have
experience in the poultry business, and the other experience with accounting issues etc. The
combined skills, experience and knowledge can provide better products and service in the
business. You can also consider a partnership if you are based outside Zimbabwe, and you find
someone in Zimbabwe who will run the business on your behalf. A partnership is also simple
and inexpensive to set up, there are minimal reporting requirements, and you can share
management/staffing responsibilities.
The disadvantages of a partnership include potential for disputes over profit sharing,
administrative control and business direction. Another disadvantage is joint and several liability
of partners, which means that each partner is fully responsible for debts and liabilities incurred
by other partners – with or without their knowledge. Changes of ownership can be difficult and
generally require a new partnership to be established.
Company
A company exists as a formal and legal entity in its own right. It is separate from its
shareholder(s) or owner(s). It’s responsible in its own right for everything it does and its finances

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are separate to your personal finances. Any profit it makes is owned by the company, after it
pays Corporation Tax. The company can then share its profits. It will have to be registered at the
Registrar of Companies. A company is a complex business structure, with higher set-up costs
and administrative costs because of additional reporting requirements.
The advantages of registering your business as a company include limited liability to the owners
of the business, ability to raise significant amount of capital, and it is also easy to sell and pass
own ownership. A company will require you to open bank account, and as registered company
you will then have access to loans and credit facilities for your business. Operating as a company
increases trading confidence and credibility. Customers and suppliers will feel more confident
and comfortable doing business with you. A company will also be able to qualify to apply for
any formal tenders in the market
The disadvantages include significant set-up costs and maintenance costs, limited or no control
of company affairs, complex reporting requirements and company can't distribute losses to its
shareholders.

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Company Structure
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FARM MANAGER
OPERATIONS FINANCE & MARKETING &

ACCOUNTING SALES
The required staff will depend on the scale of the business. This is just a simplified structure.
Board of Directors
The board of directors' key purpose is to ensure the company's prosperity by collectively
directing the company's affairs, whilst meeting the appropriate interests of the owners of the
company. They determine the company's vision and mission to guide and set the pace for its
current operations and future development.
Farm Manager
The duties of the farm manager will include:
 Staff management, supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in raising

poultry, assigns workers to duties
 Directs maintenance and repair of facilities and equipment, such as chicken houses

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 Trains new workers
 Day-to-day operational decisions
 Business planning and operations, strategic planning, business management
 Responsible for ordering and purchasing farm tools and equipment
 Whole farm planning and management
Finance & Accounting
The duties will include:
 Giving employees their salaries
 Prepare, examine, and analyse accounting records, financial statements, and other
financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and
procedural standards.
 Analyse business operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and

obligations, to project future revenues and expenses or to provide advice.
 Develop, maintain, and analyse budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare
budgeted costs to actual costs.
 Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment,
reporting and other tax requirements.
 Work with buyers and suppliers, costing, ordering and paying for equipment and supplies
Sales and Marketing Staff
The roles of the sales and marketing staff will include:
 Marketing and transporting of products
 Selling the company’s products

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 Finding new customers for the company
Operations
Our company will employ people who will be taking care of the roadrunners. Their duties and
work in and around the roadrunner house can be divided into those operations: house
preparation, starting chicks operations, growing roadrunners operations, miscellaneous chores
and slaughtering the birds.
 House preparation includes cleaning and disinfecting the building and equipment.
 Starting chicks operations covers the placement and care of baby chicks for the first 4
weeks.
 Growing roadrunners operations covers the everyday chores for raising the chicks from 4
weeks to marketing.
 Miscellaneous chores include medicating, vaccinating, repairing equipment, mowing

grass, removing caked litter, and picking up mortality.

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Operational Requirements
Chicken Housing
Small scale poultry houses seem to be built in almost every possible shape and size. Those
building a new chicken house often ask for plans for the perfect chicken house. However, few
plans for small poultry houses are available. Many existing buildings can easily be adapted to
accommodate poultry. Poultry housing can be as crude or elaborate as you wish to build as long
as you provide the following:
Protection
A good poultry house protects the birds from the elements (weather), predators, injury and
theft. Poultry require a dry, draft-free house. This can be accomplished by building a relatively
draft free house with windows and/or doors which can be opened for ventilation when
necessary. Build the house on high, well-drained areas. This prevents prolonged dampness
and water saturation of the floor of the house and outside runs. Allowing an adequate level of
space per bird also helps keep the humidity level in the house to a minimum.
Keeping poultry totally confined together with fence and covered runs are your best
protection from predators. If you are building a new facility, consider laying a concrete
floor, and start the wall with one or two concrete blocks. This prevents rodents, snakes, and
predators from digging under the walls and the floors. Windows and doors must be securely
covered with heavy-gauge mesh wire or screening when opened.
Build your poultry house to prevent possible injury to your birds. Remove any loose or
ragged wire, nails, or other sharp-edged objects from the coop. Eliminate all areas other
than perches where the birds could perch more than 4 feet above the floor. Remove
perching areas such as window sills, nest box tops, or electric cords whenever possible.
These extra measures could eliminate any injury to you or your birds and may prevent
damage to the housing, as well.
Adequate Space

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Birds need adequate space for movement and exercise as well as areas to nest and roost.
Space requirements vary with the type of bird you raise. For roadrunners, you should have 10
birds per square metre (0.1 square metres for each bird) in the house, and at least 1 square metre
per bird in the outside run/range.
Heating System
The heating capacity requirement depends on ambient temperature, roof insulation and the
degree of house sealing. Electric heat lamps (infrared bulbs) or gas or electric hover-type
brooders can be used for the heat source. The electric heat lamps are a good and popular source
of heat. One 125-watt bulb is needed for each 25 chicks. A light with a red finish can be used to
dull the light. Also, the heat lamp should be secured so that it cannot fall into the litter, and all
electrical wiring needs to be adequate for the size of bulb used.
Lighting
If you wish to produce eggs from your flock year-round, you must have a source for
electric light. One electric light every 12 metres at ceiling height is appropriate. Most small
poultry houses do very well with one light above the feeding and watering area. Windows placed
in the house will also be a good source of light and warmth in winter and a good source of
ventilation in summer.
Ventilation
Ample air movement without a draft is essential. Fresh air brings in oxygen while excess
moisture, ammonia or carbon dioxide are removed the stale air moves out of the house.
Dampness and ammonia build-up are a sign that there is not enough ventilation. For small
houses, windows or vents on one side of the house usually provide plenty of ventilation.
Well-ventilated houses must also have plenty of insulation and a good vapour barrier. Failure
to insulate or ventilate properly causes moisture to accumulate on the walls and ceiling in
cool weather. Poultry can handle cold very well if they are dry. However, cool and humid
conditions can create many health problems. Locate openings on the side away from
prevailing winds. The south or east side is usually best.

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Appearance
The appearance of any poultry house or outside run that is visible to the neighbourhood should
never detract from the over-all appearance of the surroundings. Exteriors of structures should be
kept painted and well-maintained. Weeds and trash should be removed from around all facilities.
Proper landscaping can provide screening and also help muffle sounds from the birds. Unsightly
structures are not good for the image of bird raising.
Use Common Sense
When building a poultry house, use common sense in designing the structure. Build the
roof high enough and situate such permanent structures as nests, roosts, and feeders for
easy access and to make it easier to clean all areas of the house. Install doors so that they
open inward. Using sliding windows so that the birds cannot roost on them rather than
windows which swing in or out. Use building materials which will be easy to clean and
disinfect. Slightly sloping the floor toward the door can help prevent puddling in the
building and will make the building easier to spray out and dry between uses.
Bedding
Bedding type and maintenance in chick housing is critical to the health and success of free-
ranging pastured poultry operations. Chicken growers consider a number of factors when
determining which material to use as bedding in their facilities, with cost and availability being a
major consideration. The floor should be covered with a 5cm to 10cm deep litter of grain husks
(maize or rice), straw, wood shavings or a similarly absorbent (but non-toxic) materials. Wood
shavings are highly recommended for use since birds cannot eat them. Wood chips are too big
for chickens to scratch around and wire mesh floors should not be used, because they do not
allow the chickens to scratch and are devoid of beneficial microorganisms that contribute to the
health of young, growing birds. Litter provide insulation from the floor and soaks up moisture
from the droppings. It also helps to prevent damage to the birds’ legs due to slippery surfaces.
Usually old litter is renewed when replacement stock arrives. It is advisable not to re-use old
litter. After old litter has been removed out of the house, the floor should be cleaned and
disinfected.

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Bedding materials generally needs to be very absorbent, and must have a reasonable drying time.
Many paper products, for instance, absorb moisture well but do not dry out appropriately. The
material should also have a useful purpose once it has been used as a bedding material. Without a
useful purpose for the used litter, poultry growers would need to dispose of unmanageable
quantities of old litter. Large accumulations of litter stored unused for long periods of time are
not ecologically acceptable even on a small scale, and would be non-sustainable from an
industrial perspective. Examples of materials which can be used as bedding include wood
shavings, sawdust, hay, pine chips, hardwood chips, rice hulls, peanut hulls, ground corncobs,
chopped straw, sand, and leaves.
Equipment
Feeders
Chickens should never be debeaked, if they are expected to forage on plants and critters;
debeaked chickens are useless on pasture. There is no need for debeaking chickens in non-caged
systems, because cannibalism in open systems is not a problem. The birds are not stressed,
bored, and there should be no nutritional deficiencies. When feeders are set out for chicks, there
should be enough linear space to accommodate 35-50% of the flock at any one time. It is not
necessary to accommodate feeding space for all of them at one time, since chicks will spend a lot
of time sleeping. When the chicks line up at the feeder count them, and if it is full of birds and
not at least 35% of them, add some more feeders.
Every few days, feeder space will change as the birds grow, so fewer will fit around the feeders.
Experienced producers say that, one of the easiest ways to foster leg problems in chicks is
associated with the stress resulting from inadequate feeder space. It is also important that you
make sure that the chicks never run out of feed; it is better to waste some feed rather than have
them not have enough to eat.
Trough type feeders will provide more linear space than round types. Chicks should not have to
stretch for their food, so the feeder should be nested into the bedding a half-inch or so to make
sure the feeder lip does not exceed beak height. Birds want to search down in the feeder for food

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and stretching too much can cause leg problems. The lip of the feeder should hit the birds at
about breast height. Waterers should be elevated as chicks grow for both cleanliness and
drinking efficiency. For this reason, the waterer lip should be higher than the feeder trough.
Drinkers
At day-old, provide a minimum of 6 bell drinkers of 40 cm (16 in) diameter per 1,000 chicks; 6
mini-drinkers or plastic trays per 1,000 chicks should also be available as an additional source of
water. As the birds become older and the area of the house in use is expanded, provide a
minimum of 8 bell drinkers of 40 cm (16 in) in diameter per 1,000 chicks. Place these evenly
throughout the house so that no birds is more than 2 m (6.6 ft) from water. As a guide, the water
level should be 0.6 cm (0.25 in) below the top of the drinker until approximately 7–10
days. After 10 days there should be 0.6 cm (0.25 in) of water in the base of the drinker. Within
3–4 days, gradually remove any additional mini-drinkers and trays that were used at day-old so
that all chicks are drinking from the automatic drinkers. Drinkers should be checked for height
daily and adjusted so that the base of each drinker is level with the base of the roadrunners back
from day 18 onwards.
Nest Boxes
The basic purpose of a nest box is to encourage hens to lay their eggs in a clean cubicle in
relative peace and privacy. A properly built nest assures that eggs are kept in a good environment
for collection or hatching. Chickens are not particular about where they lay their eggs; however,
a suitable nest box in which to lay eggs can make things flow more smoothly around the
farm. Most chicken experts recommend an average of one nesting space per five birds.
Getting Started
The least expensive way to begin a free range poultry enterprise is by purchasing chicks and
raising them to production age. There are some advantages and disadvantages to doing it this
way. In addition to being less costly, chicks are less likely to bring a disease in with them to the
farm that could devastate the flock. Another important positive with starting out with chicks is
that they will grow up to become familiar and comfortable with the people around them. The
obvious downside with chicks is that they will require a lot of care, if they are to reach

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production age. The producer should always expect some mortality of the chicks along the way
too; normally, about 1 to 2% of chicks die in the first couple of days after they arrive on the
farm. These are typically runts and those that come from the hatchery sick. If the mortality rate
over this same time period is 4 or 5% or higher, something is wrong.
Another option besides chicks when beginning a poultry enterprise is getting started with birds;
these are typically young birds less than a year-old. This works well for egg laying operations;
for example, a producer may consider getting pullets, which are young hens just entering egg
laying age. These are a good deal if a producer can get them. This reduces much of the risk in
raising chicks, and saves money by not having to feed unproductive birds.
The most expensive way to start a poultry enterprise is with the purchase of mature birds. The
upside here is that the birds will be productive immediately and will present the fewest surprises.
Besides the expense, other negatives include the risk of disease being higher with mature birds
and the fact the age of these birds may not be known when they arrive on the farm.
Getting Chicks
When starting an enterprise with chicks, purchase 25% more birds than is expected to be needed;
this allows for mortality and culling. When beginning a laying flock, decide on how many eggs
will be needed and size the flock accordingly. Unless the enterprise includes raising cockerels
(young roosters) for meat, most birds should be hens, since too many roosters will fight.
Initially it is a good idea to get chicks from a hatchery, however a producer may decide, after
they have gained more experience, to hatch their own chicks. Once chicks are brought to the
farm, be sure to control the cat and dog; they can be one of the deadliest predators of young
birds. Rats are also serious predators of chicks. A producer does not really want to add losses
from predators to the mortality rate normally expected with chicks.
Commercial feeds such as Chick Starter can be used for the first 2 weeks, and then can be
switched to a locally mixed feed ration. Cold is one of the hardest and deadliest things on chicks,
the season should not be rushed by getting chicks too early in the year. When the chicks arrive,
they will need to get warmed up as quickly as possible. When they are cold, chicks do not eat,

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since their first desire is warmth. For a small batch of about 100 chicks, an area of 10 square
meters is adequate; a cardboard box with a light bulb hanging down will work quite well. A
thermometer at chick level can be used to monitor the temperature. A waterer and feeder will
also be needed, but initially some newspaper with feed and grit sprinkled on it is okay. The main
point at this time is that the chicks should have unlimited access to feed and water.
Feeding Grit and Vegetable Matter
Silica and grit are necessary to the digestive process, where it serves as food grinding stones in
the bird’s digestive system. There are commercially available grit materials that can be
purchased; however there are some producers who use creek sand and aggregates, which they
believe have a more diverse content of minerals and more. Grit should be made available to
chicks as soon as they arrive; it can be spread out onto newspaper along with some feed
sprinkled on top of it to ensure that the chicks receive a good dose of grit right away.
Vegetable matter type feeds, such as hay chaff, lawn clippings, and weed seeds can be made
available to chicks. They are nutritious and stimulate the scratching skills they will need when
they begin foraging in the pasture. However caution needs to be taken with feeding too much of
these fresh materials, since these types of feed are low in energy and reduce the amount of grain
that is eaten.
From day old to 4 weeks
 They are very small and fragile treat them with love and care.
 Put up an infra-red light ± 1m from the floor.
 Put coarse saw dust as bedding not fine sawdust.
 Put down 5L or 2L water fonts with some electrolytes or booster in the water.
 Place large pas of food on ground wet a 1/3 of feed.
 Do not place food or water near infrared light.
 There must be enough space for chicks to move away from light.
 One infrared light is enough for 250 (two hundred and fifty) chicks.
 Feed pullet grow to hens (not roadrunner starter or grower).

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 After 7 (seven) days during the day put infrared lights off when temperature is higher
than 20 oC.
 Allow sunlight in on chicks, this will develop feathers much quicker.
 Keep to inoculation program
 Feed AD LIB till 4 (four) weeks old.
 Refresh water 3 x daily cool water.
 After 14 (fourteen) days let them outside during the day but allow access back into cage.
 If chicks start to peck each other you need to add more feed trays or pans.
 Remove sick or weak chicks and keep them separate until healthy and strong.
 Do not allow strangers into chick houses. Keep good bio security intact.
 Visit chicks often to see if all is in order.
 From 21 (twenty one) days put Viro-kill in drinking water 10ml per 10L of water.
From 5 weeks to 17 weeks
 Keep 10 (ten) chickens per square meter.

 Put a bit of saw dust on floor.
 Keep inoculation program up.
 Give anti-body boost once every 3 (three) weeks.
 Give Viro-kill in water every 2 (two) weeks 10ml per 10L.
 Separate all sick and weak chicks – sick bay.
 Treat with medication.
 Put back after strong and healthy.
 Visit cage often to check for any strange habits i.e.: sneezing, cough etc.
 Remove bedding every 6 (six) weeks.
 Disinfect cage floor.
 Give cool water at all times.
 Wet 1/3 of feed.
Medication

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Health
Be a good listener, as well as visual observer of the birds. Chickens should walk erect and tall
and routinely stretch; producers should hear happy chirping birds, if they are quiet, something is
wrong. Health issues have not typically been a problem in most free range poultry operations
despite not using antibiotics and vaccines. Birds are healthier in this system, because they are not
being crowded together, get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, eat a good, well-balanced diet, and
are not stressed. It is important that good pasture rotation is practiced, so that the birds do not
graze behind another flock for at least two years. Another critical point is to practice the “all-in”
and “all-out” (closed flock) philosophy of moving out an entire group of birds before bringing in
new replacement group of birds. The closed flock philosophy centres on the belief that each
flock is exposed to a unique set of disease-causing organisms, so they develop their own set of
immunities. Birds from two healthy flocks can therefore give each other diseases for which the
other has no defences. Once the flock is established, the best advice is to keep it closed.
Producers will have some sick birds, so have a hospital pen available to house them. This
quarantined area, with its special attention, proximity to feed, water, and pasture is often all that
is needed to help sick birds to recover. The hospital pen can also be an area in a stationary house
if there is space.
Weather
Most free-range poultry producers say that rain is their biggest weather problem. Wet birds get
cold and this is especially dangerous for young birds. Cold birds will instinctively snuggle
together for warmth; however as a consequence, birds in the middle of the pile can suffocate.
Older birds tend not to snuggle as much as younger birds; they will hunker down, won’t eat, or
drink, and just slowly freeze to death, if the conditions last long enough. They should be forced
to stay active. It is not the brief thunderstorm that is the problem; it is the cold, rainy period over
several days that could be deadly to the birds. It is the saturated ground with water running
through it or with puddles forming that is the real problem; producers need to take action
immediately under these conditions. Action strategies include: taking some dry hay or straw and
spreading it out over the area under the pen, gently pushing the birds up onto the dry material as

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it is spread out. If there is a cold breeze as well, wind blocks should be placed against the side of
the pen.
Pasture Needs
Much the same with any other farm animal, producers want a good grass and legume mixture in
the pasture; the forage species is not that important. The quality of the forage would also be the
same as what is needed for other grazing animals. Chickens do like to eat weeds, they are
preferred next to legumes, so do not get too caught up with the overall condition of the field.
Monocultures (pasture with only one forage species) are not recommended. One acre of good
pasture is needed for every 400 chickens on pasture.
Chickens prefer pasture plants shorter than other grazing animals, so producers will need to
either mow or graze the pasture down to between two to six inches in height before putting the
chickens on the pasture. This provides an opportunity for producers to get multiple uses out of
the pasture by having chickens follow grazing livestock. The livestock will graze down the
height of the pasture plants and deposit manure piles that the chickens love to pick through. In
fact livestock manure provides essential vitamins and other nutrients to chickens.
There are some plants that are poisonous to poultry. These plants include poison hemlock,
monkshood, privet, yew, nightshade, and horse radish. Producers will notice that some of these
are wild plants and others are cultivated, so become familiar with what they look like, and see if
any of them are on the farm near the birds.
Water
The most important nutrient is water. Always provide fresh water. It is very important in winter
to provide non frozen water, and to provide abundant fresh water in the summer. In the summer,
you will be amazed how much water the chickens drink, and how much evaporates. Make sure to
keep their water full and clean. They must not run out of water.
Feeds and Feeding Chicken
 Supplementary feeding in particular for young chicks, is one of the most important means
of preventing diseases.

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 Store feeds in a dry and clean place always to avoid contamination and spread of
diseases.
 Provide your poultry with clean water daily to avoid the spread of waterborne diseases,
such as Fowl Cholera. Daily addition of EM to drinking water has been shown to help
prevent diseases.
Feed
Why feed indigenous free range chicken?
Feeding is important so as to increase the production of meat and eggs from indigenous chicken.
A lack of feed or water will reduce resistance to diseases and parasites, and subsequently
increase flock mortality. It is important to note that even small flocks of indigenous chicken will
starve during certain periods of the year (e.g. drought, planting season when birds are confined,
floods etc.) when left to scavenge without supplementary feeding.
Egg production and growth are limited by access to feed and genetic potential. Local birds are
the best converters of feed to eggs under fluctuating environmental conditions, although their
production potential is much lower than genetically improved breeds. You may easily increase
egg production and growth of local birds by giving supplementary feeds. Improved breeds also
perform well under village conditions when given a steady supply of feeds. It is important to
always start by making calculations of the cost-benefit and judge the risks involved before
choosing the quantity and type of feed.
What to feed?
The composition and availability of feeds will vary, depending on the season, locality and
production system. Poultry need feed containing energy and protein, as well as vitamins,
minerals and water. The need for feed will change, depending on the age and status (chicken,
grower, egg layer, broody hen) of the bird. The cheapest - and also often the best - way to
supplement the diet of your poultry, is to use local resources. However, many vitamins and
nutrients are destroyed if the feed is stored too long or under sub-optimal conditions, e.g. high

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humidity and heat. Knowledge of feed quality and sources of different feed types is important for
feed safety.
If you have free range chicken, temporarily confined during planting season and during night,
you can supply grains, by-products of grains or tubers besides the green forage and seeds they
collect during scavenging. With a variety of feeds (plants and insects) also requirements for
minerals, trace-elements and vitamins are likely to be met. Water should be available at all times.
Young chicken should be fed easy to digest feeds that are energy and protein rich.
Scavenging
In a free-range or semi-intensive poultry rearing system, adult hens and cocks ought to be given
enough time and space for scavenging in the surroundings daily. The best time for scavenging is
early morning and late afternoon when there are plenty of insects and less heat. Chicks below six
weeks of age should be confined. Supplementary feeds should be offered in the morning and
evening when the birds come back for the night. Ad libitum clean water should be provided in
shady areas during the day to avoid heat stress.
If your production is based on improved breeds or hybrids for egg production, different types of
commercial diets may be offered. These are divided into three distinct categories, with
decreasing amount of protein as follows;
 A starter diet or (chick mash): high in protein (18%,11,8 Mj ME); offered from day old
up to 8 weeks; Each chick will consume 2 kg during this period
 A growers' diet/mash: lower in protein (14%, 11,6 Mj ME); offered from 9 weeks up to
18 weeks; Each grower will consume about 8 kg during this period
 A layer diet/mash: medium in protein (14%, 11,2 Mj ME); offered to hens from 19 to 75
weeks. Allow 120 g of feed per bird per day. Hens consume about 45 kg of feed annually
When buying commercial feeds, calculate whether it is profitable based on the market price for
eggs or meat/live birds. If the product price is lower than the price of feed consumed by the birds

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to produce it, it is not economical to offer commercial feeds. Indigenous chicks may be offered
commercial diets profitably from day old to six weeks of age.
Types of feeds
Energy feeds
As a rule 75% of a quality poultry diet is made up of energy feeds. Energy feeds are the most
important feeds for maintenance requirements (e.g. body temperature, vital functions, exercise).
Cereal grains, roots and tubers are the most important energy feeds. Examples of energy feeds
are cereals like maize and its by-products (bran), sorghum, wheat and its by-products (bran), rice
and its byproducts (bran, polishing), cassava root meal, yams and sweet potatoes.
Roots and tubers should be soaked in water for 60 minutes or cooked before drying to remove
harmful substances and the proportion in the diet in general kept below 10%. Fat is also a good
source of energy in particular in hot climates, as the heat produced during metabolism is less
than from traditional energy feeds, e.g. cereals. Sources of fat are e.g.: tallow, lard, oil cake
meals, hotel used oils and fat. Such oils and fats should only be given in small amounts, i.e. less
than 10% of the total diet.
Protein
Protein is needed for growth and optimal health status. Normally no more than 20% of a poultry
diet is made up of protein-rich feeds mainly due to high cost. Protein sources may originate from
animals or plants. Examples of protein-rich local feeds are: Maggots, termite eggs, insects,
worms, peas, beans, and oil cakes from e.g. ground nuts, cotton seeds, palm kernels, and
coconuts. Animal byproducts such as meat meal or bone meal from chicken are not allowed, also
fish meal is not allowed in organic farming. Synthetic amino acids are not permitted. Some
harmful substances (anti-nutrients) are present in some protein-rich plants e.g. beans. As such
their proportion in the diet should be low based on type and processing prior to feeding. Note
that feeds processed with chemicals are not allowed in organic farming
Minerals

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Minerals are important for bone formation, eggshell formation and for optimal health status. The
most important minerals are calcium and phosphorous. To produce strong egg shells, laying hens
need free access to calcium (limestone or crushed shells). Mature birds are usually able to
balance their mineral intake according to their requirements. When phosphorous rich feeds are
added to the diet, they should be balanced with calcium rich feeds, since high levels of one
mineral will cause deficiency of the other. Examples of sources for minerals are: bone meal,
limestone and burned eggshells. The use of bone meal or eggshells is a good way of balancing
calcium and phosphorus levels in the diet. Eggshells should always be scorched or cooked before
re-use in diets to remove contaminants.
Vitamins
Scavenging birds get vitamins from eating green grass, vegetables, fresh cow dung and through
sunlight. Vitamins A, B2, and D3 are important because many problems arise when birds are
deficient. Sunlight and green grass or green fodder normally provide Vitamin A and D, whereas
Vitamin B may come from fresh cow dung. Vitamin B may also be added by giving
multivitamins. Additional vitamins are given in very small quantities and purchased from
agrovet stores or feed stockists. Supplementary vitamins are usually not required when birds are
left to scavenge. Confined or intensively management birds always need additional vitamins
added into their feeds.
Homemade feeds
It is advisable to make a semi-balanced diet for the small chicks from 0-6 weeks of age. In
general mixed feeds should not be stored for more than a few weeks to avoid contamination from
mould, bacteria or rodents and to avoid losing vitamins. It is possible to formulate poultry diets
to balance for both energy and protein according to the requirement of specific diets.
How much to feed in free range systems?
A major economic advantage of the free-range or semi-intensive production systems over the
intensive systems is the ability of poultry to scavenge for in the surroundings. This so-called

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scavenging feed resource base (SFRB) will change over the seasons based on climate, geography
and production system in the area on which the poultry scavenge for feeds. Depending on the
season, the chicken may find nearly all they need in the surroundings (e.g. during harvest) or
nothing (during lean season).
The table above shows the feed requirements of the birds at different stages of their life. Ad lib
means you should give the chicks as much feed as they want, without restriction. Practically they
will consume about 850 g of feed per chick during their first four weeks. The table above shows
that they will need 350g of feed for the fifth week. Using the figures in the table, the chicks
require 1.19Kg from week 6 to week 8. The chicks will be allowed to free range from the 6th
week, and getting some of their required nutrients from foraging the pasture. Thus we will only
supplement 50% of their required daily needs, meaning that we will give them 595g of feed from
the 6th week to the 8th week. Thus during the first 8 weeks each chick will need 1.8Kg of feed.
This feed can be in form of chick mash, or balanced homemade feeds.
From the 9th week, the birds will continue free ranging, and getting some of their required
nutrients from foraging the pasture. Limit the quantity of feed offered to the birds daily to at least
30% - 50% of their full daily intake. As the birds grow, they will gradually get a smaller portion
of what they need, until they only get between 1/3 and half of their needs as adults. Economic

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benefits are calculating the break-even point from the sale of eggs and live birds relative to the
cost of disease control, housing, labour and feeds.
To ensure sustained egg production, offer feeds when the chicken need it rather than less
quantities during the harvest season and more during the lean season. Reduce the flock size
through selling some chicken when feed costs are high rather than reducing the amount of feed
given to each bird.
The table above shows that each bird will need 4,76Kg of feed from the 9th week to the 16th week
when they are sold as roadrunners. During this period the birds will also be free ranging and
scavenging their surroundings for food. Thus we will only supplement 50% of their required
daily needs, meaning that we will give them 2,38Kg of feed from the 9th week to the 16th week.
We will use commercial chick mash feed to give the chicks for the first 8 weeks, and from the 9th
week we will use homemade feeds as supplements. The homemade feed will be a combination of
soya beans meal and maize in the ratio 1:5. This ratio gives the required protein content which
the birds need.
Layers will need 120g daily. During this period the birds will also be free ranging and
scavenging their surroundings for food. Thus we will only supplement 50% of their required
daily needs, meaning that we will give them 60g of feed daily.
How to feed?
It is important to use simple local measures to administer feeds. When using 1 kg containers (or a
cup) measure the amount of feed the container holds, and then calculate the number of containers
of feed needed daily. If the container holds 750 g of feed you will need to fill the container ¾
full. To keep the birds hungry for scavenging, offer half the feed in the morning, which will be
equal to a half full container. To avoid competition, feed the young chicks a little more than half
in a separate shelter. Feed the hens next and finally before the feeder is empty feed the cock.
When cocks are offered feed before the other birds, they over eat and leave less feed for the rest
of the flock. Cocks are better at scavenging within the surrounding than the rest of the birds.
Young chicks will need relatively more protein in their diet than adult birds hence the need to
mix two different rations for young and adult birds, respectively. If you do not want to mix two

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different rations, you can alternatively give a little extra supplement of a good protein source to
the young chickens, e.g. maggots and termites.
Guide to feed management
Before buying, mixing, and storing feeds, it is important to understand some underlying
principles of good feed management.
It is crucial to:
1) Use local feed ingredients for local birds;
2) Know or estimate the quality or feed value and prices of each feed ingredient;
3) Buy missing feed ingredients, such as vitamins or protein sources locally from a stockist;
4) Change the feed formulation depending on availability, quality or feed value and price;
5) Reduce the flock size under free-range production system during lean seasons and when feed
cost increases;
6) When changing feeds always do it gradually;
7) Avoid long storage periods;
8) Use locally available materials such as tins or matchboxes for quantifying the different
ingredients to be mixed. Grams or percentages do not work in practice;
9) Store mixed feed or feed ingredients separately on a platform approx. 30 cm above the floor;
10) Stop the entry of rats, pigeons, or other type of birds into the feed store;
11) Make sufficient ventilation to ensure that feed ingredients are not wet due to humidity;
12) Caution; Do not use feed ingredients that are moldy, discolored or infested with pests.
Water
Scavenging poultry can get diseases by drinking water from small ponds or puddles, as these can
transfer water borne diseases and parasites. Poultry should get clean and fresh water all the time
at the same place. This makes it is easy to medicate them. Clean water should be given at least
early in the morning and again in the evening when the birds are returning to the house for the
night. It is important that all feeders and drinkers are kept clean to avoid disease infection
through dirty feed and water.

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Type of food for chickens
Food scraps
There are many food scraps that hens will enjoy, that are also good for them. Keep in mind that
the poultry feed is the best feed for them, so don't overwhelm their diet with other foodstuffs.
Chickens don't have teeth or cutlery to get their food into small pieces, and too much food
in the birds crop can lead to compaction there, which is a life threatening problem, therefore, it is
a good idea to chop up the scraps that you feed to them. There are also things to avoid. If
something is clearly rotten, mouldy, or inedible don't feed it to your chickens, just compost or
dispose of it. Cereal products, such as bread, cereal, pasta (for a good time, hand feed your hen
spaghetti!), and pastry are fine. You can also give them remains of your sadza, rice, beans etc.
Lean meats (cooked or raw) and fish, fish skin, and dairy products are good for chickens, since
they usually benefit from added protein. Keep in mind that too much fat can lead to serious
health problems. Most fruits (bananas etc.) and vegetables (cabbages, spinach, covo etc.) are
fine, cooked or raw. Chopping them makes them more attractive. Chickens love vegetables!
Insects and Animals

Chickens are omnivores and crave protein, like all omnivores. Chicken's favourite treats are all
kinds of insects, worms, and even mice (chickens are actually very good mouse hunters).
Grains
Chickens love grains, you can feed them with wheat, maize, sorghum, rapoko, makireshi etc.
Chickens and egg production

Hens and eggs
 Female chickens are called pullets for their first year or until they begin to lay eggs. For
most breeds, around 20 weeks is a typical age for the first egg.
 Some breeds lay eggs daily, some every other day, some once or twice a week.

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 Some individual hens never lay eggs, due to narrow pelvises or other anomalies.
 Normal laying routines can be interrupted by molting, winter daylight shortage,

temperature extremes, illness, poor nutrition, stress, or lack of fresh water. Hens usually
return to normal laying habits when the disruption-causing factor ends or is corrected.
 Most hens are productive layers for two years before declining in production, but some
continue to lay eggs for several years.
Egg development and laying process
 Hens will lay eggs whether or not they’ve ever seen a rooster (male chicken). Roosters
are necessary only for fertilization of eggs.
 A female chick is born with thousands of tiny ova, which are undeveloped yolks. Once
she reaches maturity, an ovum will be released into a canal called the oviduct and begin
its journey of development.
 At any given time a productive hen will have eggs of several stages within her
reproductive system. The eggs most recently discharged from the ovary are just tiny
yolks, and the eggs farther down the oviduct are progressively larger and more
developed.
 From the time an ovum leaves the ovary, it takes approximately 25 hours for the egg to
reach the vent for laying. During that time period, the yolk will grow larger while being
surrounded by albumen (egg white), wrapped in a membrane, and encased in a shell.
Pigment is deposited on the shell as the last step of the egg production process.
 If sperm is present, the yolk will be fertilized before the albumen is deposited.
 As a chick embryo develops in a fertilized egg, the yolk provides nourishment and the
albumen cushions the embryo.
 Although a hen has only one exterior opening (the cloaca or vent) for egg laying and
elimination, eggs are not contaminated during the laying process. Two separate channels,
the oviduct and the large intestine, open into the cloaca. As the egg nears the end of the

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oviduct, the intestinal opening is temporarily blocked off. The egg passes through the
cloaca without contact with waste matter.
 The typical interval between eggs laid is about 25 hours, so a hen that lays an egg every
day will lay a bit later each day.
 Hens don’t usually lay eggs in the dark, so once a hen’s laying cycle reaches dusk time,
she will usually not lay till the following morning.
 Eggshell production drains calcium from the hen’s body. The comb, wattles, legs, and ear
lobes will fade as the calcium leaches out. Calcium must be replenished through either
feed containing calcium, supplements such as oyster shell, or high amounts of calcium in
the soil of birds with outdoor access.
Egg variations
 Young pullets often lay malformed eggs before getting established in a normal laying
routine. Older hens may occasionally lay abnormal eggs due to age, stress, or illness.
 Pullet eggs--the first ones produced by each pullet--are smaller than the eggs that the
same hen will produce as an older hen.
 “Fart egg” and “oops egg” are terms for tiny eggs that quickly pass through the oviduct
without reaching full size.
 Shell-less eggs are released before they have time to develop a shell. They may have
membrane holding them together or just be loose yolk and white.
 Double eggs or “egg in an egg” are created when an egg with a shell is encased by the
next egg in the oviduct and a shell is produced over the outer egg as well.
 Double yolkers may have a normal amount of egg white with two or more yolks. In the
shell, the egg may be unusually large.
 Yolkless eggs, also called no-yolkers, dwarf eggs or wind eggs, consist of egg white
alone.
 Occasionally an egg will come out with a wrinkly, misshapen, rough, bumpy, or
unusually colored shell.

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 Egg size is dependent on breed, age, and weight of the hen. Larger chicken breeds tend to
lay larger eggs; banty breeds lay small eggs. Older hens tend to lay larger eggs than
younger hens.
 The shell color is a breed characteristic. Most chicken breeds lay light-to-medium brown
eggs. A few breeds lay white, dark brown, green, blue, or cream colored eggs.
 Shell color is only “skin deep”-- the eggs inside are the same as eggs of other colors.
 The shell color intensity of eggs laid by one hen can vary from time to time, with an
occasional darker or lighter eggshell.
 While most eggs have a slight sheen to the shell, some breeds or individual hens tend to
lay eggs with a chalkier texture.
Chicken-and-egg behaviour
 Most hens will lay eggs in the same nest box as flockmates, so it’s not necessary to have
a nest box for each hen.
 Some hens like to lay their eggs in private and others will join their sisters in the nest
box. Often two or three hens will crowd into one box while another nest box remains
empty.
 Sometimes a hen will sit on previously laid eggs and add her egg to the clutch. Another
might prefer to sit in another area and deposit one egg by itself.
 Often a hen will sing “the egg song” before or after she lays an egg. Some will sing
during the process of laying. It is a cheerful song that seems to be a proud announcement.
 Chickens learn by example, so a fake or real egg left in a designated nest box may
encourage hens to lay there instead of on the floor or outdoors.
 Unconfined hens may lay eggs anywhere outdoors if they don’t want to return to the nest
box. Sometimes a free-ranging hen will go missing and reappear weeks later with a
parade of chicks.
 Chickens like to eat eggs, even their own. An egg that gets accidentally broken will likely
be eaten by one of the chickens. If you occasionally find pieces of shell or egg yolk in the
nest box, it’s usually nothing to be concerned about.

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 Some chickens become habitual egg-eaters that break eggs open and eat them. An egg-
eater should be culled from the flock if you wish to have eggs for the kitchen. Not only
will that chicken continue to eat eggs, but others will learn from watching and you may
end up with several egg-eaters.
 Holes in eggs and cracked eggs do not necessarily mean there is an egg-eater in the flock.
A hen can accidentally crack an egg in the nest when she sits down or adjusts the nest to
lay her own egg. Sometimes curiosity or boredom leads a chicken to peck at an egg
without the intention of eating it.
 Chickens can be fed their own or other eggs either raw or cooked. Eggs provide protein
and the calcium in the shell is beneficial for laying hens. A potato masher can be used to
break boiled eggs into pieces of egg and shell.
 Empty eggshells from the kitchen can be fed back to chickens as a calcium supplement
without concern for developing egg-eaters. However, to be safe, crushing the shells or
running through a blender is a good idea.
Chicken and Roosters
 The only reason a rooster would be required with a flock of hens is to fertilize eggs. As a
side job, a good rooster also serves as a watchman, warning his hens of predators and
other dangers. He also seeks out food for his harem.
 Even with a virile rooster in residence, not all eggs will be fertile. Some hens just don’t
interest a rooster and others never get caught. Often, roosters will have favorite hens that
get most of their attention and others remain unnoticed.
 Hens do not have an estrus cycle. They can mate and develop fertile eggs at any time.
 Sperm can remain viable in the hen’s oviduct for three to four weeks, so one mating will
fertilize numerous eggs.
Brooding and hatching
 A broody hen of any breed can be used to hatch eggs and raise chicks from other hens of
any breeds.

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 A broody will sit on any eggs, whether or not they are fertile and regardless of who laid
them. To gather a suitable clutch of eggs, she will not only lay her own eggs but may roll
other hens’ eggs into her nest.
 While a hen is brooding, you can remove daily any extra eggs she gathers into her clutch.
Drawing pencil “equator” lines around the eggs you want her to brood will help with
identification.
 A setting hen will usually leave the nest at least once a day to eat, drink, and defecate.
The eggs are not in danger of cooling off too much during a normal foray into the coop or
run.
 Typically, chicken eggs hatch about 21 days from the beginning of incubation or nesting
by a broody hen. A few days early or late is not unusual, and some breeds lean toward
earlier or later hatches.
 Not all fertile eggs will develop into embryos. Some never develop due to egg
deficiencies or temperature fluctuations.
 Not all chick embryos will successfully hatch. They can die any time before hatching,
even after pipping a hole in the egg. Double yolk eggs rarely hatch due to crowding
during embryo development.
 If a broody hen has pushed an egg out of the nest, she probably knows something is not
right with that egg or embryo.
How to Hatch Chicken Eggs in an incubator
General Hints
Eggs should hatch in 21 days, though some may hatch a day or 2 early and some a day or 2 late,
after the incubation period began. A "day" is counted as a full 24 hours, so Day 1 would be the
first 24 after setting the egg, Day 2 the next 24 hours etc. If you set eggs on a Monday, it's
usually a safe bet that they will hatch on a Monday, 3 weeks later.
Select clean, even shaped, undamaged eggs for incubating. If possible, do not store them too
long pre-incubation. Ideally eggs should be set within a week after being laid and after 10 days

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the hatchability of the eggs drops significantly. Before putting your eggs into an incubator, plug
it in and make sure the temperature is steady.
Fertility and Candling

Natural fertility is rarely 100% - it may vary from 55% to 95% with season, condition and type
of birds. You might be safe to expect that 50% to 75% of the fertile eggs will hatch, though 90%-
100% hatches can and does happen. Fertility of eggs cannot be determined before incubating
them. After 5-7 days, white-shelled eggs can be candled to see if embryos have developed. If
there is no sign of development by day 10, discard any "clears".
The Air Bubble in the Egg
Soon after an egg is laid, a small air bubble forms in the large end under the shell. A membrane
separating the mass of the egg and the air bubble moves back and forth to relieve stress and
pressure on the embryo resulting from changes in temperature. The drier the outside air is, the
more fluid is depleted and the faster the bubble grows. Correct humidity in the incubator insures
that the bubble does not grow too big, depleting essential fluids, or deny the chick enough air by
remaining too small.
The importance of correct humidity is more apparent at the end of incubation. The normal
condition is that the air cell has enlarged to the point where the chick can reach his beak through
the membrane wall, allowing it to breathe, before it pips through the shell, after which it will
"zip" around the shell. If humidity has been excessive, the chick may pip internally into the air
cell and drown in excess fluid. On the other hand, if humidity has been too low, the air cell will
be oversized and the chick may be "shrink wrapped" in the inner membrane and unable to hatch.
Positioning of Eggs
An incubating egg could set in a normal position as it would on a flat surface; that is with the
large end slightly higher than the point, or upright in egg cartons/turners, with the fat end of the
egg always up. An egg that persistently has the small end elevated may cause the embryo to be
disoriented with the head toward the small end. In the disoriented position, the chick is likely to

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drown on pipping. Therefore, it is quite important that in general, the large end of eggs should be
slightly higher than the small ends; or as they would lie naturally on a flat surface.
Turning
Turning is essential during the first 14 days of incubation and should be continued until 3 days
prior to the eggs expected hatch day. If hand turning, always turn the eggs an uneven number of
times a day, so the eggs do not spent two nights in a row in the same position. If not turned to a
fresh position frequently during the early stages, the developing embryo touches the shell
membrane and sticks to it causing abnormal growth. Turning the egg aids these movements
within the egg, and mimics what a mother hen would do naturally.
What to do with Hatched Chickens
After the chick hatched allow it to dry off and fluff up in the incubator before removing it to a
brooder. Newly hatched chicks can survive for up to 3 days on the yolk they absorb during the
hatching process, but once you put them in the brooder make sure there is at least water available
and offer them food after a day or 2.
If you don’t have an incubator, you can hatch eggs the natural way using a broody hen. You will
have to allow your hen to sit on a clutch of eggs and let them hatch out naturally into fluffy baby
chicks. You will have chicks after 21 days just like when using an incubator.
Breeds
There are many breeds of roadrunners which can be found in Zimbabwe.
Boschveld
This is the most popular commercial breed of roadrunners in Zimbabwe.
 The Boschveld is derived from three indigenous breeds - the Venda, Matebele and
Ovambo - and is the only synthetic indigenous chicken breed in Africa.
 The chickens survive and produce on what nature can provide, with only a small amount
of maintenance feed to boost production.

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 They withstand Africa's varying climatic conditions and keep producing well in free-
range conditions.
 They have inbred hardiness, which helps them to withstand poultry diseases.
 Cocks are strong, aggressive and have noble conformation.
 Versatile: Can be raised as layer (egg production) or roadrunner (meat production)
 Hens are very fertile with strong, healthy offspring that grow well.
 Egg production starts at 20 weeks.
 No expensive housing is needed to make a success of a poultry operation.
 Cocks are ready for slaughter at 12 weeks old, depending on nutritional levels.
 The meat has a good flavour.
Rhode Island Red
 American breed of chicken

 Versatile: Can be raised as layer (egg production) or roadrunner (meat production)
 Hens are very fertile with strong, healthy offspring that grow well.
 Egg production starts at 19-20 weeks.
 The roosters usually weigh in at about 3.9 kg, the hens average slightly less at 2.9 kg.
 The bird's feathers are rust-colored, have red-orange eyes, reddish-brown beaks, and
yellow feet and legs
 Rhode Island Reds are good layers of brown eggs. Hens lay 5–7 eggs per week. The hens
lay approximately 312 eggs in their first laying season and 223 in the second.
 No expensive housing is needed to make a success of a poultry operation.
 The chickens survive and produce on what nature can provide, with only a small amount
of maintenance feed to boost production.
Other pure breeds which can be found in Zimbabwe are Australorps, Leghorn, Light Sussex.
The rural indigenous chickens

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These are the chickens which are found in the rural areas, which are usually a cross breed of
many different breeds. They have no genetic identity, meaning that you can tell their expected
weight after a number of weeks, how many eggs they can lay, their growth potential etc. We do
not advise using them for business. It is better to use pure breeds like the ones listed above,
which have known genetic characteristics.

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Operational Strategy
Production Cycle
The roadrunners are going to be ready for market when they are 16 weeks old. Roadrunners take
a long time to mature, unlike broilers. The major product of the business is going to be
roadrunners (sold for meat). Some birds are going to be raised to be layer birds, since we don’t
want to continue to buy day old chicks, we intend to hatch our own chicks. The birds will start
laying eggs at 20 weeks of age. We are going to control the number of chickens we have, so we
will only expose the layers to roosters only when we want to have more chicks. Keeping the
layers together with the roosters will make them lay fertilised eggs, which we will then take,
incubate in our incubator, and hatch them into the required number of chicks. When we do not
want to have more chicks, the layers will continue to lay eggs in the absence of roosters. The
eggs they produce will be sold to the market.
Year 1
Week 1 You buy 675 day old chicks (525 for roadrunners(meat), and 150 which are going to
be free range layers(eggs))
Week 8 You buy 525 day old chicks
Week 16 1. You sell 500 roadrunners(assuming 5% mortality rate) 2. You buy 525 day old
chicks
Week 20 1. Layers start laying eggs
Week 24 1. You sell 500 roadrunners 2. You hatch 525 day old chicks
Year 2

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Week 25 1. You hatch 150 day old chicks, which are going to be layers
Week 45 1.You sell 150 off layers 2. The other layers start laying eggs
Year 3
The table above shows that we will be selling roadrunners after every 8 weeks. We will buy day
old chicks for the first 3 cycles only, after which we will hatch our own chicks from the eggs
which will be laid by our layers. Each cycle will have 500 roadrunners, and is going to be 16
weeks long. At any one time we will have 2 groups of roadrunners, which have 8 weeks age
difference, to enable us to sell roadrunners after every 8 weeks. We will assume a 5% mortality
rate of the day old chicks, meaning that 5% of our chicks will die. This means that 25 out of the
525 chicks, thus 500 birds will survive to maturity.
We will assume that the layers will have 70% production efficiency, meaning that for any given
day, 70% of the layers will lay an egg. Since we have 150 layers, it will mean that every day we
will have 105 eggs. We will assume 80% hatchability of the eggs, which means that 80% of the
eggs which go into the incubator will successfully hatch. This means that if we want to get 525
day old chicks, we will put 657 eggs into the incubator.

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Please note that if you start with 500 chicks, you can potentially grow their number to several
thousands of birds, if you hatch all the eggs you get. Thus you will have to control the growth of
the flock so that it becomes sustainable, as more birds will require more infrastructure, a bigger
market, more labour, land etc. If you have the market available and infrastructure plus the
ability to take care of several thousands of birds, then growth is okay. In this business plan we
have assumed that we will maintain our birds at 500 per cycle.
Also note that if you are hatching chicks at let’s say week 40, that means you will have put the
eggs in the incubator 3 weeks prior i.e. week 37.

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Marketing Strategy
Our company will attempt to rapidly achieve awareness in Harare about its business in the first
year. To be successful in this business, you should have many customers. Thus it is of great
importance to have a solid marketing strategy, in order to distinguish ourselves and gain more
customers. Our marketing strategy is based upon the marketing mix, which are the 4 p’s of
marketing, which are product (service), price, promotion and place (distribution).
Product/Service
We will sell high quality meat and healthy roadrunners to our customers. Customers will be
pleasantly surprised at how attentive we are in regards to their needs. The business operates on
the assumption that it will do whatever is reasonably necessary to keep the customer happy. This
reflects the notion that if the customer is kept happy; long-term profits are ensured.
Price
We will try and minimize our production costs so that we can offer a more competitive price on
the market. We will use feed concentrates which we will mix with our own maize in order to
reduce feed costs, in combination with our own homemade feeds which are cheaper. The prices
of our products will be determined by the market forces, and we will not try to lower our prices
below the industry’s average as that will affect our profitability. By using the market’s prices, all
our products will be bought, so there is no need to lower our prices. We will not try to increase
our prices above the industry’s average, as we will lose our customers as the prices are elastic.
We will offer discounts to those who buy in bulky to gain customer loyalty.
Promotion
We will use various ways of promoting our company so as to gain more customers and increase
general awareness of our farm and the services we offer.
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth advertising via quality products will be used to market our company. We will
give incentives to customers who refer others to our farm. We will spread the word of our

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chickens in our community. We will also use our personal networks to identify new customers.
We will talk to family and friends; inform the local church community; showcase products at
community functions.
We will also reach out to retired producers, as they are a source of potential customers. They
may simply miss eating quality chicken and are looking for someone to supply the needs of their
own family, or they may have a list of former customers looking for a new chicken supplier.
Community Involvement
Maintaining and enhancing our reputation with families and in the community will be crucial in
obtaining the planned market share growth of this target market. We will be active in our
community, sponsoring events at the community centre for families and residents.
Fliers
Our marketing strategy will include the use of fliers which are going to be distributed to
butcheries, schools, churches, supermarkets, hotels and fast food outlets. These fliers will be well
designed, attractive and very informative, containing our prices, contact details and products
which we sell. We hope to get potential customers from the distribution of fliers. We will also
offer monthly calendars to our customers.
Newspapers
We will place adverts in the Sunday mail so that more people can be aware of farm products.
Placing our advert in the Sunday mail will ensure that our advert will be read the whole week as
it is a weekly newspaper. It will also ensure that we reach all age groups as it is a family
newspaper. It also has a wide coverage in Zimbabwe and it is read by many people.
Public Transport Advertising
We will advertise our farm products on commuter omnibuses which commute from Harare CBD
to different locations in Harare. This will make more people aware of our products.
Internet Marketing

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The company’s website will be a dynamic marketing tool for the company. The website will
provide information about our products for target customers. As the company grows, its
recruiting needs can be addressed by posting carrier opportunities and Frequently Asked
Questions about the company. With time we will consider ecommerce, whereby we will
integrate our website with Paynow, the Zimbabwe online payment system, which will allow
customers who want to pay for our products online to do so. The goal will be to implement a
functional and professionally designed website that can be adapted to meet the company’s
growing needs.
We will link our website to our social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. We
will regularly update our website with latest information, promotions and discounts. We will also
ask visitors to subscribe to our site, and receive a monthly newsletter of our company. We will
also advertise our products on many Zimbabwe advertisement websites, and whatsapp
advertising groups.
Place/Distribution
Our farm will be located close to Harare city, which is our intended market. We will distribute
our products in all parts of Harare.

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Market Analysis
Demand
The demand for chicken in Zimbabwe is very high. Zimbabweans consumed chicken worth over
$400 million in 2014, which was an increase from the amount of chicken consumed in 2013, thus
demand for chicken continues to increase. The average demand of chicken per month in
Zimbabwe is 11000 metric tonnes, and it has been on the rise since the dollarization of the
economy in 2009. Data is not available for the demand of specifically roadrunners.
An increasing number are preferring roadrunners to broilers. This is because roadrunners are
highly nutritious, delicious, organic, and have no chemicals injected in them. Thus the demand of
roadrunners continues to rise.
The demand for eggs in Zimbabwe is very high. Eggs are considered an alternative cheap source
of proteins. Almost every household consumes boiled/fried eggs. Zimbabweans consumed eggs
worth over $100 million in 2014, which was an increase from the value of eggs consumed in
2013, thus demand for eggs continues to increase. The average demand of eggs per month in
Zimbabwe is about 48 million eggs, and it has been on the rise since the dollarization of the
economy in 2009.
Market Segmentation
Potential customer groups for our poultry farm are:
Hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets
This is the largest market for roadrunners. They buy roadrunners in bulky to cook meals for their
customers. Some of their customers love roadrunners, because they are nutritious, delicious and
organic. Not all restaurants serve roadrunners, but those who offer traditional foods usually offer
roadrunners also. Our company will provide live and dressed roadrunners to hotels,
takeaways and restaurants in various parts of Harare. Some supermarkets have restaurants within
them, thus we will also supply the roadrunners to them. Our company will provide discounts and
promotions to restaurants so as to create customer loyalty and secure them as its customers.

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Butcheries and Supermarkets
This is an untapped market. We would love to go into all the major supermarkets in Zimbabwe
one day, and see dressed organic roadrunners on sale. We would love to see roadrunners for sale
in butcheries.
Wholesales and Supermarkets
We will supply branded packaged eggs to wholesales, large and small supermarkets in Harare.
By creating and maintaining good relationships with the wholesales and supermarkets, we will
end up having long term contracts with them. This will create predictable income and stability
for the company.
Tuck-shops and Vendors
We will supply packaged eggs to tuck-shops and vendors in Harare. By creating and maintaining
good relationships with the tuck-shops and vendors, we will end up having long term contracts
with them. This will create predictable income and stability for the company.
Individuals
Live birds, dressed chickens and eggs will be sold to individuals especially to those who buy in
bulky. Individuals buy birds in bulky for various reasons including for weddings, parties and
family functions. Selling direct to consumers allows producers to set a price that covers costs and
provides a profit.
Organisations
Our company will supply live birds, dressed chickens and eggs to various organisations like
boarding schools, hospitals, prisons and churches in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Price of roadrunners
Hotels, restaurants, and takeaways buy roadrunners at $7-$10 depending on the weight, location
and quantities. Roadrunners are more expensive than broilers because roadrunners are highly

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nutritious, delicious, organic, and have no chemicals injected in them. The traditional meals with
roadrunners are usually more expensive in restaurants than meals with broilers.
Price of eggs
The end consumer buys eggs at $1 for five from supermarkets, which translates to $6 a crate.
The vendors and tuck-shops sell their eggs at $1 for 5 or $1 for 6. The producers of eggs supply
them to supermarkets and retailers at a price of $4-$4.50, depending on the size of eggs,
branding, and location.

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Industry Analysis
Small and medium scale poultry production
Many households in the rural areas keep roadrunners. In Zimbabwe, indigenous chickens are
estimated to be 30 million. The average household flock numbers 20 birds, and is composed of
eight chicks, six to seven growers, four to five hens and one cock. Indigenous poultry and other
small livestock is a preferred method of investment in rural areas where few investment
alternatives exist and is used mostly as “cash” for exchange even in shops. These chickens play
an integral role in the smallholder farming systems. They are used to meet the multiple
household social, economic and cultural needs. Village chickens are part of the total poultry
genetic diversity that comprises of chickens, turkeys, quails, ducks, goose, guinea fowls and
pheasants.
Unlike pure breeds and hybrid layers, village chickens easily go broody and are generally good
mothers. The breeding of village chickens in Zimbabwe is usually at peak from September to
April. Poultry management is usually in the hands of women and children. Women attach more
value to chickens while men value large animals like cattle more.
Despite their current importance and future potential, very little is known about the genetic
composition of local chickens in Zimbabwe and most developing countries. Although village
chickens are considered an important genetic reservoir, the genetic diversity contained in these
populations and its distribution has not been comprehensively quantified. At present local
chickens in Zimbabwe are commonly referred to as ‘village’, ‘roadrunner’ or just ‘indigenous’
chickens without differentiating them into any populations.
A growing number of farmers are keeping pure breeds of roadrunners for commercial purposes.
The most popular breed is Boschveld. Some breeds which are also kept include Rhode Island,
Australorps, Leghorn, Light Sussex, among others. There are no large scale producers of
roadrunners in Zimbabwe. The farmers who keep pure breeds of roadrunners for commercial
purposes usually have flocks of 500-3000 birds. They usually have contracts with various hotels
and restaurants which they supply.

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The number of producers of eggs has been increasing in the past years in Zimbabwe due to the
high unemployment levels thus people are now resorting to various kinds of projects including
keeping hybrid layers. About 55% of the eggs produced in Zimbabwe are from the small and
medium scale egg producers. These layers projects are found in rural areas, resettlement areas,
A1 farms, A2 farms and in urban areas. Almost all the eggs produced for commercial purposes in
Zimbabwe are from hybrid layers, and not roadrunners. The eggs produced by small scale
poultry producers are usually unbranded rather than branded packaged eggs. Thus the targeted
market of these producers includes the low income to middle income earners who are sensitive to
the price of the branded found in supermarkets. These producers also supply to restaurants,
organisations such as boarding schools, churches, prisons, and other small supermarkets.
Large Scale poultry production
These are the big players in the layers industry like Irvine's and Lunar Chickens. They produce
their own day old chicks, which they rear, till they lay eggs. The large scale producers account
for about 45% of the total number of eggs produced in Zimbabwe. They supply branded
packaged eggs to supermarkets and other large organizations.
Competition and Buying Patterns

Restaurants, hotels and takeaways tend to buy from those who are reliable at their supply of
chicken, and who also have fair prices. For live birds, they are more concerned about the weight
of the birds, breed and appearance, whether they appear healthy or not. They also consider the
price of the birds. They are willing to establish relationships and enter into long term supply
agreements with suppliers who can reliably deliver the chicken to them when they need it. There
is competition from small scale producers in and around Harare. Often demand exceeds supply,
as the market is not yet flooded with roadrunners. Many farmers are not able to consistently
supply roadrunners every week.
For eggs, there is competition from large scale producers like Irvine’s, and also hundreds of
local small scale producers in Harare. Brand names and price are important to consumers when
buying eggs from the large supermarkets. Large supermarkets tend to buy packed eggs from
companies such as Irvine's which are well known, as those eggs are easily marketable. This
market segment can be penetrated with the right marketing and advertising techniques. . For
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consumers who are buying eggs from the small supermarkets, tuck shops, vendors etc., brand
names are not important, but they consider the size of the eggs, and the price. This segment of
the market can easily be penetrated with good marketing strategies.
Supermarkets tend to buy from those who are reliable at their supply of eggs, and who also have
low prices. They are willing to establish relationships and enter into long term supply agreements
with suppliers who can reliably deliver the eggs to them when they need them.

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SWOT Analysis
The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company,
and describes the opportunities and threats faced by our company
Strengths
 Our company will produce roadrunner chickens of high quality and a continual supply of
chickens to customers.
 There is plenty of water supply at our farm
 Experienced owner-operator
 Good breed of roadrunners
Weaknesses
 Limited Capital
 No transport of our own
Opportunities
 The demand for poultry roadrunners meat is large and ever increasing. It is one business
that the opportunity for growth ever remains large. Continuous exploitation and
expansion will be the status of the industry for a long time.
 Having a hatchery which produces and sells day old chicks.
 Producing and selling affordable roadrunners feed.
 Getting certified to produce organic roadrunners.
 Exporting organic roadrunners to other countries.
 Strategic alliances offering sources for referrals and joint marketing activities to extend
our reach. This will increase our market share and hence the profit.

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 Internet potential for finding more customers. Many poultry businesses are not fully
utilising the internet to find potential customers.
 Supplying dressed roadrunner chickens to supermarkets and butcheries.
 There is a room to expand to other animal farming activities like rabbits, pigs and cattle
fattening.
 Cheap labour in the market
Threats
 Disease outbreak
 Decline in chicken demand
 Low market prices for chicken
 Change in government regulations
 Increase in feed costs

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PEST Analysis
We understand that our business is affected by Political, Economic, Social and Technological
factors. Below we look at how those external factors may affect our business and the
assumptions we have made in making this business plan.
Political
Change in regulations which affect the agriculture sector especially poultry farming will affect
us. New legislation may create risks of non-compliance with the law, or create new
administrative burdens. The tax policies of the Government of Zimbabwe will affect the
operations of our business. If the government of Zimbabwe increases the taxes for poultry
companies it will affect the profitability of our business. Political instability like wars, protests
will affect our business. Changes in employment laws, safety regulations especially those
targeted to the agriculture industry will affect the operations of our business. Changes in import
tariffs of our inputs or competing products will affect our business. We expect political stability
to continue in Zimbabwe, and we do not expect any significant changes in the regulations by the
government of Zimbabwe.
Economic
Liquidity crisis in Zimbabwe which is currently in Zimbabwe will likely continue for the coming
years. This has caused high interest rates. The high interest rates affect the cost of capital, the
rate of interest being directly proportionate to the cost of capital. Rate of inflation determines the
rate of remuneration for employees and directly affects the prices of our services. Again, the
proportion between the inflation rate and wages/prices is direct. Economic trends act as an
indicator of the sustainability and profitability of our business in Zimbabwe and will help us
determine the right marketing strategy. IMF and World Bank are re-engaging with Zimbabwe,
and dollarization also led to the recovery of the Zimbabwean after a decade of recession. These
factors point to economic growth of our Zimbabwean economy, which will mean more business
for the industry as the economy becomes more active and more people get higher disposable
income.
Social
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We expect the population growth will continue in Zimbabwe. This will mean more potential
customers and greater demand. We expect that the current HIV-AIDS campaigns which are
being carried out by the government and Non-Government Organisations, will make people
more health conscious, and will lead to a reduction in the cases of HIV-AIDS which will imply a
healthier work force. We expect that the health facilities in Zimbabwe will continue to improve
as the economy recovers, meaning more people will have access to drugs.
Technological
Technological improvements can lead to the production of more efficient feed. A good technical
infrastructure would lead to better production, procurement and distribution logistics, resulting in
reduced wastage and lower costs.

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Financial Statements
Start-up Costs
Item Quantity Unit Cost Total

Land Acquisition 1 $5,000.00 $5,000.00
Roadrunner Chicken houses 2 $1,000.00 $2,000.00
Layers chicken house 1 $500.00 $500.00
Incubator 1 $1,000.00 $1,000.00
Nest Boxes 30 $5.00 $150.00
Tubular Feeders 25 $9.00 $225.00
12 litre font 25 $9.00 $225.00
4 litre font 25 $3.00 $75.00
Feed Trays 25 $2.00 $50.00
Roadrunner Heating and lighting $500.00
System
Company Registration $300.00
Transport to market(2 cycles) $50.00
Water/year (Borehole) $240.00
Repairs and Maintenance $100.00
Contingency Cash $100.00
Chick mash Feed(2 cycles advance) 2070 $0.60 $1,242.00
Home made feed(2 cycles advance) 2737 $0.40 $1,094.80
Veterinary Supplies (2 cycle $50.00
advance)
Electricity/Gas $200.00
Labour (4 months advance) 4 $150.00 $600.00
Day old chicks ( 3 cycles advance) 1725 $1.00 $1,725.00
Total $15,426.80
Housing
We will have two houses for roadrunners each housing 500 birds, since at any given time we will
have two groups of roadrunners at the farm. We will also have 1 layer house which will shelter
our 150 layer birds. The construction cost range from $20-$40 per square metre depending on
various factors such as materials used, location, and company contracted to build the house. You
need about 0.1 square metres for every bird. Thus for 500 birds you will need 50 square metres.
We assumed a construction cost of $20/square metre.
Equipment Necessary

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1 * feed tray per 50 birds for the first 10 days
1* tubular feeder per 50 birds.
1 x 4 litre font per 50 birds for the first 7 days
1 x 12 litre font per 50 birds
1 nest box per 5 layers
Heating and Lighting system

This includes the cost for gas brooders which provide heat to the chicks and bulbs.

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Pro Forma Income Statement
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Revenue
Roadrunner Sales $20,000.00 $28,600.00 $24,000.00
Egg Sales @ $4.20 a crate $2,646.00 $4,725.00 $4,725.00
Cost of eggs sold $1,581.60 $2,184.60 $1,941.00
Cost of roadrunners sold $7,230.00 $7,917.00 $6,786.00
Gross Profit $13,834.40 $23,223.40 $19,998.00
Operating Expenses
Salaries $1,800.00 $1,800.00 $1,800.00
Water $240.00 $240.00 $240.00
Depreciation $650.00 $650.00 $650.00
Company Registration $300.00 $0.00 $0.00
Repairs and maintenance $300.00 $300.00 $300.00
Contingency $500.00 $500.00 $500.00
Total Operating Expenses $3,790.00 $3,490.00 $3,490.00
Net Profit Before Tax $10,044.40 $19,733.40 $16,508.00
Tax (25%) $2,511.10 $4,933.35 $4,127.00
Net Profit After Tax $7,533.30 $14,800.05 $12,381.00
Assumptions
 The business will follow the production plan which is outlined under the Operational
strategy section, meaning that in year 1 we will sell 2500 roadrunners & 630 egg crates;
year 2 we will sell 3500 roadrunners, 150 off-layers, and 1125 crates of eggs; year 3 we
will sell 3000 roadrunners & 1125 crates of eggs.
 The roadrunners will be sold at $8 each, off layers at $4 each, and eggs at $4.20 a crate

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 The business will employ one person who will be paid $150/month
 Contingency is a provision for other smaller expenses and unpredictable expenses
 The costs of eggs sold & costs of roadrunners sold are calculated from the tables shown
below.
 The feed quantities are calculated using the guidelines outlined under ‘How much to feed
in free range systems?’ which is under the Operational Requirements section.
 Chick starter mash is $0.6/Kg, while homemade feed is calculated assuming maize cost
of $300/tonne, soya meal cost of $600/tonne, and milling cost of $50/tonne. The soya
meal and maize will be mixed in the ratio 1:5.

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Variable Costs per Cycle (Roadrunners)
Quantity Unit Total

Cost
Feed (Chick Mash) Kgs 900 $0.60 $540.00
Feed (Home made) Kgs 1190 $0.40 $476.00
Veterinary Supplies 500 $0.05 $25.00
Disinfectants 500 $0.01 $5.00
Litter 500 $0.02 $10.00
Transport to market 500 $0.05 $25.00
Electricity/Gas 500 $0.10 $50.00
Total (Without buying dayold $1,131.00
chicks)
Day old chicks 525 $1.00 $525.00
Total (Buying dayold chicks) $1,656.00
Variable Costs Year 1 for layer
Item Quantity Unit Total

Cost
Egg Crates 630 $0.20 $126.00
Electricity/Gas 12 $20.00 $240.00
Feed (Chick Mash)Kgs 270 $0.60 $162.00
Feed (Home made) Kg 2634 $0.40 $1,053.60
Veterinary Supplies 150 $0.05 $7.50
Day old chicks 150 $1.00 $150.00
Total $1,581.60

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Variable Costs Year 2 for layers

Cost
Egg Crates 1125 $0.20 $225.00
Electricity 12 $20.00 $240.00
Feed (Chick 270 $0.60 $162.00
Mash)Kgs
Feed (Home made) Kg 3894 $0.40 $1,557.60
Total $2,184.60
Variable Costs Year 3 for Layers

Cost
Egg Crates 1125 $0.20 $225.00
Electricity 12 $20.00 $240.00
Feed (Chick Mash)Kgs 270 $0.60 $162.00
Feed (Home made) Kg 3285 $0.40 $1,314.00
Total $1,941.00

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Pro Forma Cash flow Statement

Opening Balance $0.00 $16,396.20 $34,268.50
Cash Sales $22,646.00 $33,325.00 $28,725.00

Subtotal Cash from $22,646.00 $33,325.00 $28,725.00
Operations
Additional Cash Received

Start-up Capital $15,426.80 $0.00 $0.00
Subtotal Cash Received $15,426.80 $0.00 $0.00
Cash Expenditures
Feed, Water and Vet $8,811.60 $10,101.60 $8,727.00
purchases
Operating Expenses $3,140.00 $2,840.00 $2,840.00
Subtotal Spent on $11,951.60 $12,941.60 $11,567.00
Operations
Additional Cash Spent

Taxes $0.00 $2,511.10 $4,933.35
Loan Repayment $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Bank Overdraft $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Repayment
Purchase Fixed Assets $9,725.00 $0.00 $0.00
Subtotal Additional Cash $9,725.00 $2,511.10 $4,933.35
Spent
Net Cash Flow $16,396.20 $17,872.30 $12,224.65

Cash Balance $16,396.20 $34,268.50 $46,493.15

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Pro Forma Balance Sheet

Long Term Assets
Land $5,000.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00
Buildings $2,500.00 $2,500.00 $2,500.00
Equipment $2,225.00 $2,225.00 $2,225.00
Accumulated -$650.00 -$1,300.00 -$1,950.00
Depreciation
Total Long Term $9,075.00 $8,425.00 $7,775.00
Assets
Current Assets
Cash $16,396.20 $34,268.50 $46,493.15
Accounts Receivable $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Inventory $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Other Current Assets $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Total Current Assets $16,396.20 $34,268.50 $46,493.15
TOTAL ASSETS $25,471.20 $42,693.50 $54,268.15
EQUITY AND
LIABILITIES
Equity
Share Capital $15,426.80 $15,426.80 $15,426.80
Retained Earnings $7,533.30 $22,333.35 $34,714.35
Total Equity $22,960.10 $37,760.15 $50,141.15
Liabilities
Current tax payable $2,511.10 $4,933.35 $4,127.00
Accounts Payable $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Other Liabilities $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Total Liabilities $2,511.10 $4,933.35 $4,127.00
TOTAL EQUITY AND $25,471.20 $42,693.50 $54,268.15

LIABILITIES

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Break Even Analysis
Breakeven Value
Analysis
Selling Price/Unit $8.00
Variable Cost/Unit $2.26
Annual Fixed $3,140.00
Costs
Breakeven point 547
Thus we should sell at least 555 roadrunners annually for our revenue to cover all our costs.
Payback Period Analysis
Payback Period Value

Analysis
Initial $15,426.80
Investment
Net Cash flow $16,396.20
year 1
Net Cash flow $17,872.30
year 2
Payback Period
0.95
Therefore it will take us a year to recover the costs of our initial investment.

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Risk Analysis
These risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of
operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently
deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or
results of operations.
Fluctuations in the availability and price of raw materials, especially stock feeds, maize and
soya meal and other inputs could negatively impact our earnings.
Our results of operations and financial condition, as well as the selling prices for our products,
are dependent upon the cost and supply of commodities and raw materials such as stock feeds,
maize and soya meal. Production and pricing of these commodities are determined by constantly
changing market forces of supply and demand over which we have limited or no control. Such
factors include, among other things, weather patterns throughout the world, outbreaks of disease,
the global level of supply inventories and demand for grains and other feed ingredients, as well
as agricultural and energy policies of domestic and foreign governments.
Volatility in our commodity and raw material costs directly impact our gross margin and
profitability. The company’s objective is to offset commodity price increases with pricing
actions over time. However, we may not be able to increase our product prices enough to
sufficiently offset increased raw material costs due to consumer price sensitivity or the pricing
postures of our competitors. In addition, if we increase prices to offset higher costs, we could
experience lower demand for our products and sales volumes. Conversely, decreases in our
commodity and other input costs may create pressure on us to decrease our prices.
Outbreaks of livestock diseases can adversely impact our ability to conduct our operations
and demand for our products.
Demand for our products can be adversely impacted by outbreaks of poultry diseases, which can
have a significant impact on our financial results. Efforts are taken to control disease risks by
adherence to good production practices and extensive precautionary measures designed to
ensure the health of our roadrunners. However, outbreaks of disease and other events in

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Zimbabwe, which may be beyond our control, in our own poultry farm could significantly affect
demand for our products, consumer perceptions of certain protein products, the availability of
livestock for purchase by us and our ability to conduct our operations. Outbreaks in our own
poultry farm may lead to the death of all our birds. Moreover, the outbreak of livestock diseases,
particularly in our Chicken segment, could have a significant effect on the livestock we own by
requiring us to, among other things, destroy any affected livestock. Furthermore, an outbreak of
disease could result in governmental restrictions on the import and export of our products to or
from our suppliers, facilities or customers. This could also result in negative publicity that may
have an adverse effect on our ability to market our products successfully and on our financial
results.
If our products become contaminated, we may be subject to product liability claims and
product recalls.
Our products may be subject to contamination by disease-producing organisms or pathogens,
such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli. These organisms and pathogens are
found generally in the environment; therefore, there is a risk that one or more, as a result of food
processing could be present in our products. These organisms and pathogens also can be
introduced to our products as a result of improper handling at the further processing, foodservice
or consumer level. These risks may be controlled, but may not be eliminated, by adherence to
good manufacturing practices and finished product testing.
This may lead to increased risk of exposure to product liability claims, increased scrutiny and
penalties, including injunctive relief and plant closings by Zimbabwe regulatory agencies, and
adverse publicity, which could exacerbate the associated negative consumer reaction. Any of
these occurrences may have an adverse effect on our financial results.
Changes in consumer preference could negatively impact our business.
The food industry in general is subject to changing consumer trends, demands and preferences.
Trends within the food industry change often, and failure to identify and react to changes in these
trends could lead to, among other things, reduced demand and price reductions for our
brands and products. We strive to respond to consumer preferences and social expectations, but

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we may not be successful in our efforts. We could be adversely affected if consumers lose
confidence in the safety and quality of certain food products, or the food safety system generally.
Prolonged negative perceptions concerning the health implications of certain food products or
loss of confidence in the food safety system generally could influence consumer preferences and
acceptance of some of our products and marketing programs. Continued negative perceptions
and failure to satisfy consumer preferences could materially and adversely affect our product
sales, financial condition and results of operations.
New or more stringent Zimbabwean government regulations could impose material costs
on us and could adversely affect our business.
Changes in laws or regulations that impose additional regulatory requirements on us could

increase our cost of doing business or restrict our actions, causing our results of operations to be
adversely affected. The government of Zimbabwe may remove the high import duty on poultry
products. This will lead to the Zimbabwean market being filled with cheap imported chickens,
which will be difficult to compete with. Thus the demand of local chicken will decrease, and it
will also force the prices of our products down, which will adversely affect our product sales,
financial condition and results of operations.
Deterioration of economic conditions could negatively impact our business.

Our business may be adversely affected by changes in Zimbabwe economic conditions,
including inflation, interest rates, consumer spending rates, energy availability and costs and the
effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions. Any such changes could
adversely affect the demand for our products, or the cost and availability of our needed raw
materials, and packaging materials, thereby negatively affecting our financial results.
The loss of one or more of our largest customers could negatively impact our business.
Our business could suffer significant setbacks in sales and operating income if our customers’
plans and/or markets change significantly or if we lost one or more of our largest customers. Our
retail customers typically do not enter into written contracts, and if they do sign contracts, they
generally are limited in scope and duration. There can be no assurance that significant customers
will continue to purchase our products in the same mix or quantities or on the same terms as in

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the past. The loss of a significant customer or a material reduction in sales to, or adverse change
to trade terms with, a significant customer could materially and adversely affect our product
sales, financial condition and results of operations.
The prices we receive for our products may fluctuate due to competition from other food
producers and processors.
The food industry in Zimbabwe is intensely competitive. We face competition from other food
producers and processors that have various product ranges and geographic reach. Some of the
factors on which we compete include: pricing, product safety and quality, brand identification,
innovation, breadth and depth of product offerings, availability of our products and competing
products, customer service, and credit terms. If we reduce prices but we cannot increase sales
volumes to offset the price changes, then our financial condition and results of operations will
suffer. Alternatively, if we do not reduce our prices and our competitors seek advantage through
pricing or promotional changes, our revenues and market share would be adversely
affected.
Extreme factors or forces beyond our control could negatively impact our business.
Our ability to make, move and sell products is critical to our success. Natural disasters, fire,
theft, pandemic or extreme weather, including droughts, floods, excessive cold or heat,
hurricanes or other storms, could impair the health or growth of birds or interfere with
our operations due to power outages, fuel shortages, damage to our production and processing
facilities or disruption of transportation channels, among other things. Any of these factors could
have an adverse effect on our financial results.
Theft & Vandalism
There is a risk that our poultry farm may be subject to theft and vandalism. This could have an
adverse effect on our financial results, as we might end up losing our birds. Predators can also
kill birds on our farm.

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Potential Sources of Finance
Equity Financing
Equity financing means exchanging a portion of the ownership of the business for a financial
investment in the business. The ownership stake resulting from an equity investment allows the
investor to share in the company’s profits. Equity involves a permanent investment in a company
and is not repaid by the company at a later date.
Personal Savings
Not everybody has savings but if you do, they are a good place to start. If you don’t have savings
yet, now is a good time to start. Your timeline for starting your business may be six months to a
year anyway, so if you start putting money away now, you’ll have at least a starting point from
which to raise more cash. Starting a business is about sacrifice and so you should cut down your
lifestyle as far as possible and save the cash, you’ll be glad you did.
Come up with a savings plan, save a certain percentage e.g. 20% of your salary/income towards
start-up capital for your business. Open a savings account with a reputable bank. Be disciplined.
Cut your expenses. Yes, with proper planning you can do it. Yes, it will take time, but it’s worth
it. A year from now you will wish you had started today.
Friends and Relatives

Founders of a start-up business may look to private financing sources such as parents or friends.
It may be in the form of equity financing in which the friend or relative receives an ownership
interest in the business. However, these investments should be made with the same formality that
would be used with outside investors.
Venture Capital
Venture capital refers to financing that comes from companies or individuals in the business of
investing in young, privately held businesses. They provide capital to young businesses in
exchange for an ownership share of the business. Venture capital firms usually don’t want to
participate in the initial financing of a business unless the company has management with a
proven track record. Generally, they prefer to invest in companies that have received significant

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equity investments from the founders and are already profitable. In Zimbabwe we have few if
any venture capital firms.
Angel Investors
Angel investors are individuals and businesses that are interested in helping small businesses
survive and grow. So their objective may be more than just focusing on economic returns.
Although angel investors often have somewhat of a mission focus, they are still interested in
profitability and security for their investment. So they may still make many of the same demands
as a venture capitalist. Angel investors may be interested in the economic development of a
specific geographic area in which they are located. Angel investors may focus on earlier stage
financing and smaller financing amounts than venture capitalists. Angel investors are hard to
come by in Zimbabwe. To get one, you need strong networking at many business functions
where you can try to befriend the wealthy.
Debt Financing
Debt financing involves borrowing funds from creditors with the stipulation of repaying the
borrowed funds plus interest at a specified future time. For the creditors (those lending the funds
to the business), the reward for providing the debt financing is the interest on the amount lent to
the borrower.
Debt financing may be secured or unsecured. Secured debt has collateral (a valuable asset which
the lender can attach to satisfy the loan in case of default by the borrower). Conversely,
unsecured debt does not have collateral and places the lender in a less secure position relative to
repayment in case of default.
Debt financing (loans) may be short term or long term in their repayment schedules. Generally,
short-term debt is used to finance current activities such as operations while long-term debt is
used to finance assets such as buildings and equipment.
Friends and Relatives

There are a number of pitfalls associated with borrowing from friends and family; on the positive
side, such borrowing arrangements can often be made on more attractive terms than might
otherwise be available from a more formal source of funding. For example, it may be possible to

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borrow either without any form of security against the loan and it may also be possible to borrow
at either a lower rate of interest, or even interest‐free. Repayments may also be possible over an
extended period of time and a detailed business plan may not be necessary.
It is best to keep any arrangement formal, however, and to give your benefactor as much
financial information as possible upfront. You will be responsible for their money and as such it
is in everyone’s interest to manage your money effectively
Banks and Other Commercial Lenders

Banks and other commercial lenders are popular sources of business financing. Most lenders
require a solid business plan, positive track record, and plenty of collateral. These are usually
hard to come by for a start- up business. Once the business is underway and profit and loss
statements, cash flows budgets, and net worth statements are provided, the company may be able
to borrow additional funds. It is usually easier to get loans from local owned banks like CABS,
CBZ, and ZB. You will have to take a personal loan, as they rarely fund start-ups. We do not
advise borrowing money from micro-financial institutions to start a business. Their interest rates
are too high and unsustainable.

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Top reasons for failure of poultry business in Zimbabwe

Lack of Technical Know-how
It is regrettable that many people and organizations have ventured into poultry farming without
technical knowledge. Knowledge of poultry farming techniques is required before anyone can
operate the business profitably. Make sure you attend a workshop for poultry production before
you start the business.
Management Problem
An incompetent management may not be able to operate a profitable poultry farm. The managers
of the farm must know what they are employed to do and possess the ability to do it. Some
poultry managers fail to recognize the peculiarity of poultry farming in their management style,
thereby preparing good ground for losses in the venture. Many managers do not recognize the
need for timely planning and control in running the farm.
Hygiene Deficiency
There is a minimum hygiene condition that must exist in any poultry farm if the birds are to
remain healthy and produce maximally for profit. The poultry farm must be kept clean always;
the droppings should be cleared on time before they constitute an agent of disease.
Security
A poultry farm must be established in a secured place to ward off enemies of birds, such as rats,
soldier ants, snakes, wild birds, etc. Most of these enemies are agents of disease that could lead
to an epidemic on the farm, and they kill the birds directly as well. There must be strict check on
the farm workers who may be stealing the fowls. Also, visitors may constitute a problem to the
farm if they are not properly checked.
Housing
Birds need minimum space and convenient place to grow well and produce maximally meat.
Birds are spaced on the farm according to their ages; while the chicks need little space, growers
and mature birds need more space and ventilation to perform well. The services of a consultant

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may be needed to determine the appropriate spacing for the birds without which they may
suffocate to death, which will be a big loss to the business.
Inability to prevent, detect and control disease
It is often said that prevention is better than cure, as far as disease are concerned and this is a true
statement and relevant one to poultry farming. A poultry farmer should know how to prevent
poultry disease, as well as how to cure them. If he or she does know anything about preventive
measures, the services of consultants in the field should be engaged for good result.
Marketing
A marketing plan is absolutely necessary for successful commercial poultry farming, as any
farmer ignorant of his or her marketing needs is bound to run into serious losses and eventual
failure. It will be ridiculous to start poultry production without knowing when, where, how and
to whom to sell the fowls, feathers and droppings as they are produced. We cannot talk of profit
if the meat has no ready market. Also, birds not sold at the appropriate time will be fed at an
extra cost that may make the business unprofitable. Therefore, adequate marketing strategies are
needed to sell all the poultry products at the appropriate time and prices.
Ignoring the role of livestock consultants
There are always practicing experts in every profession or occupation who function as
consultants. They are there to proffer solutions to problems that exist in such professions at a
minimum cost. Where a livestock farmer doesn’t have adequate technical and managerial
experience, he or she can consult experts for necessary advice to bridge the gap. Even where the
farmer thinks he or she has all it takes to run a farm successfully, there may be need to seek the
services of experts in the field, as it is usually said that two heads are better than one.

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Directory
Poultry Equipment, veterinary products, disinfectants etc.
Veterinary Distributors Cnr 4th and Kenneth Kaunda, Harare. 04 793753, 793 183, 0771 054-10.
Farm and City Centre, Cnr 4th and Robson Manyika, Harare
Wimpat Marketing Hardware & Vet, Cnr 2nd and South Avenue, Harare. 0774 830 726, 0772
526 696
Shalom Agrochemicals Cnr 2nd and South Avenue, Harare. 04 706835
Fivet Poultry & Livestock Centre, Cnr Robson Manyika & 4th Street
HARARE Tel: + 263 772-139-125 + 263 772-139-126 Email: poultry1@vetprod.com
For more about Fivet and contact details of other branches check their website
http://www.fivetanimalhealth.com/contact-us
Feeds
Fivet Poultry & Livestock Centre, Cnr Robson Manyika & 4th Street
HARARE Tel: + 263 772-139-125 + 263 772-139-126 Email: poultry1@vetprod.com
For more about Fivet and contact details of other branches check their website
http://www.fivetanimalhealth.com/contact-us
AgriFoods, 04-756100-5, 0712 632 333/5, 0712 620 567, Kenneth Kaunda Avenue, Harare
National Foods, 04 2922 278/81, 0731 706 441-2, Kenneth Kaunda Avenue, Harare
ProFeeds 0772 125 422, 04 661048, 666960
Novatek, 0778 055 433, 0771 452 991
Feedmix, 81 R.Manyika Road, Harare, 0771 186 889, 04 446 131/2/5, 0775 139 317

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Day old chicks
There are no big producers of roadrunner day old chicks in Zimbabwe. Below is a list of some
small producers of roadrunners
NOVATEK DISTRIBUTORS-Harare Drive/Bluffhill
Chicken House Construction
EBENEZER DISTRIBUTORS,1049 Tynwald South Harare Zimbabwe,Cell (+263)714440055

,(+263772419427)www.info@ebenezer.co.zw
Agristructures, http://www.agristructures.co.zw/, 32 Edison Crescent, Graniteside, Harare
Zimbabwe Tel: (+263 4 ) 753666/7 Cell: (+263) 712 221 211 Fax: (+263 4 ) 756422
Email: ops@agristructures.co.zw / sales@agristructures.co.zw
Farmers Union
Zimbabwe Farmers Union, 102 Fife Avenue/ Sam Nujoma Harare +263 4-251861-7
+263 771564555 / +263 771564554-5,http://www.zfu.org.zw

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Roadrunners Business Plan

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Roadrunners Business Plan 2016

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 1

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 2

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 3

Mission, Objectives and Keys to success

 Achieve first year sales of above $20 000.

 Establish a Discount Club that will build customer loyalty.

 To develop a sustainable farm, surviving off its own cash flow.

 Commitment to achieving results

 Corporate Social Responsibility

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 4

 Effectively communicating, to current and potential customers, our position as a

 Efficient production of the roadrunner chickens while minimizing costs

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 5

Live & Dressed Roadrunners

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 6

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OPERATIONS FINANCE & MARKETING &

The duties of the farm manager will include:

 Staff management, supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in raising

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 9

 Day-to-day operational decisions

 Business planning and operations, strategic planning, business management

 Responsible for ordering and purchasing farm tools and equipment

 Whole farm planning and management

Finance & Accounting

The duties will include:

 Giving employees their salaries

 Analyse business operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and

Sales and Marketing Staff

The roles of the sales and marketing staff will include:

 Marketing and transporting of products

 Selling the company’s products

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 10

 Miscellaneous chores include medicating, vaccinating, repairing equipment, mowing

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 11

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MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 13

Use Common Sense

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Feeding Grit and Vegetable Matter

From day old to 4 weeks

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 18

From 5 weeks to 17 weeks

 Keep 10 (ten) chickens per square meter.

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Feeds and Feeding Chicken

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 22

Why feed indigenous free range chicken?

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 23

MAZAIWANA BRAITHWAITE LAMECK Page 24

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How much to feed in free range systems?

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