Businessman-turned-farmer Masala Murovhi has built a 20-hectare farming enterprise encompassing crops, poultry, pigs, sheep and goats in Tsianda Village near Thohoyandou. In Part 2 of our series on his farming journey, African Farming looks at a poultry operation that encompasses commercial egg production, incubation and indigenous chicken breeding.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
When Masala Murovhi began farming on family land in Tsianda Village in 2021, he started with a modest maize field cultivated by his mother. Five years later, that field has grown into an enterprise that includes commercial fruit and vegetable production alongside a range of livestock operations, of which the largest is poultry. Two commercial layer houses accommodate between 6 000 and 8 000 laying hens, producing thousands of eggs daily for the local market.
Also read: From Maize to Orchards: How Masala Murovhi built a diversified farming enterprise
Masala is gradually building an integrated system that gives him greater control over every stage of production – from incubation and brooding to rearing replacement birds and preparing eggs for market.
It is the same approach that shapes the rest of his business: expand gradually, add value on the farm, and reduce dependence on outside inputs wherever possible.
Also read: From zero to 18 000 layers: How this Mpumalanga family built an egg empire
Building greater control through a hatchery
Alongside the commercial layer operation is a hatchery, which reflects Masala’s ambition to become increasingly self-reliant. Industrial incubators capable of handling about 2 000 eggs per cycle allow fertile eggs to be incubated on the farm before the chicks are transferred to brooding facilities.
The process follows a strict schedule. Eggs spend about 18 days in the incubator before being transferred to hatching cabinets, where the chicks emerge several days later. From there, they are moved to brooding pens and later to grow-out facilities, before eventually joining the laying flock.
Although Masala still sources some fertile eggs from established breeders, his long-term objective is to produce an increasing proportion of his own replacement birds.
“I want to control more of my own production. That is where we are heading,” he says.
Also read: Queen Agri – award-winning farmer Fellistus Sekgale
Eggs prepared for market
The focus on controlling production continues after eggs are collected from the layer houses. Eggs destined for consumers are graded by size, packed, and stamped with production and expiry information before leaving the farm.
This means an important stage of the production chain takes place on the farm rather than being outsourced.
Indigenous chickens open another market
Commercial layers are only one part of the poultry enterprise. Elsewhere on the farm, hundreds of indigenous chickens are kept in separate breeding pens, with each breed managed to maintain its genetic integrity.
Roosters and hens are paired strategically, and parent birds are separated from their offspring to prevent uncontrolled breeding. Masala is also introducing the incubation technology used for the commercial flock to the indigenous chicken operation. This allows him to multiply breeding stock faster than would be possible through natural hatching alone. The indigenous poultry enterprise serves customers who prefer these chickens for cultural and household consumption. It also gives Masala another poultry market rather than leaving the business dependent solely on commercial egg production.
He is also breeding Brahma chickens, Turkeys, Muscovy ducks with the focus currently on building up his breeding stock and gradually increasing numbers before expanding this part of the poultry enterprise.
enterprise, supplying meat, breeding stock and eggs. Photo: Maile Matsimela
Also read: Big dreams in rural KZN – poultry and vegetable farmer Bukhosi Dlamini
Diversification continues
Masala is already looking beyond commercial layers and indigenous chickens. A smaller poultry enterprise is taking shape on the farm, where he has begun breeding peacocks and ducks. Parent birds are being maintained to eventually supply fertile eggs for incubation. Although this part of the business is still in its early stages, Masala believes it will grow steadily as more breeding pairs become established.
It reflects the philosophy that runs throughout his farming operation: diversify, expand gradually and gain greater control over production. Masala has developed the entire enterprise using his own resources, without government funding or bank finance. Income from his other businesses has helped finance its steady growth, with each completed project helping him fund the next stage of development.
This is Part 2 of African Farming’s series on Masala Murovhi’s diversified farming enterprise. Part 1 explored his fruit and vegetable operation. In the next instalments, we visit his piggery before looking at how he has grown his sheep and Boer goat enterprises through controlled breeding and management.
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