EDINBURGH, Scotland. – Arbor Acres^® South Africa recently held a roadshow where they awarded a number of customers with Arbor Acres Achievers Breeder and Broiler Club awards. Arbor Acres South Africa has been the exclusive Arbor Acres distributor in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho since 2006, and recognizes the importance in providing the local poultry industry with the best performing flocks, in order to ensure food security within the local markets.

The Arbor Acres Achievers Breeder Club acknowledges customers who achieve a breeder performance of 140 or more chicks per hen housed at 60 weeks of age. The Arbor Acres Achievers Broiler Club recognizes producers who achieve a European Product Efficiency Factor (EPEF) of 400 or more with their broiler flocks.

Supreme Poultry
Each company received awards for their top performing breeder and broiler flocks. The first event held was on 19 November in Potchefstroom with Supreme Poultry. Supreme Poultry is a leading poultry producer in South Africa, operating as a division of Country Bird Holdings (CBH). They are known for producing high-quality chicken products under the consumer brand name Supreme Chicken. Their top breeder flock achieved 161.78 chicks per hen housed at 60 weeks, meaning they obtained Gold membership into the Achievers Breeder Club and the top broiler flock attained an EPEF of 443.78, gaining them Silver membership into the Achievers Broiler Club.

Chubby Chick
On the afternoon of 19 November, the Arbor Acres South Africa team held an event for Chubby Chick, a well-regarded poultry supplier known for its commitment to quality and freshness. Deon Fourie, owner of Chubby Chick, was in attendance alongside breeder and broiler farm managers. The top performing breeder flock achieved 161.35 chicks per hen housed at 60 weeks, with the top broiler flock reaching an EPEF of 498.34, granting the company Gold membership into both the Breeder and Broiler Clubs.

Grain Field Chickens
Grain Field Chickens were the next customer to be welcomed into the Arbor Acres Achievers Broiler Club Gold tier with the best broiler flock achieving an EPEF of 471.78. Arno van der Nat, General Manager, Arbor Acres South Africa, visited the Grain Field Chickens Head Office on 21 November, where he met with the relevant team members to distribute the awards. Grain Field Chickens, based in Reitz, Free State, is a premier poultry producer in South Africa. They are renowned for their high-quality, fresh, and frozen chicken products.

Henwil Chickens
Henwil Chickens, a prominent poultry producer based in Lichtenburg, North-West, South Africa, had an award event at their head office on 28 November, attended by Arno van der Nat, and Henwil Chickens broiler farmers. The company was awarded with entry into the Arbor Acres Achievers Broiler Club with their exceptional broiler results with an EPEF of 469.32, therefore achieving Gold membership. Henwil Chickens is known for its modern facilities, ensuring high standards of food safety and quality.

Janus Pretorius, Technical Officer, Broiler Division, Henwil Chickens, commented, “We are delighted to have achieved Gold membership in the Arbor Acres Achievers Broiler Club. The Arbor Acres breed performs exceptionally well in both open and environmentally controlled housing systems, and that is evident from the results received throughout our sites. The Arbor Acres broiler has the best feed conversion ratio (FCR), livability and EPEF.”

JR Poultry
JR Poultry, a poultry processing company based in Zeerust, North-West Province, South Africa, held their year-end function on 29 November. The event was the perfect opportunity to invite the Arbor Acres South Africa team along to distribute the Club certificates to the best performing producers. The top flock within the operation reached an impressive EPEF of 466.58 and Gold membership in the Arbor Acres Achievers Broiler Club.

Lufafa Hatchery
Lufafa Hatchery, a renowned poultry farm situated in the Letaba district, specializes in breeding, hatching and selling broiler chicks. They achieved entry into the Arbor Acres Achievers Breeder Club Silver tier in January by achieving 159.7 chicks per hen housed.

Ndiza Poultry
Ndiza Poultry, located in the village of Dargle in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, also gained Gold membership into the Achievers Breeder Club in January with a result of 160.4 chicks per hen housed.

CC Chickens Ltd
On 13 January, Arno visited CC Chickens (Pty) Ltd, an integration based in Kroonstad, Free State, to present their Achievers Broiler Club Gold certificate thanks to their exceptional EPEF result of 451.13.

“It was a privilege to attend the awards ceremony for our farmers. We are seeing impressive results in the field from the Arbor Acres broiler, and it is important to recognize our producers when they are achieving exceptional performance. Thank you to the Arbor Acres South Africa team for all of their assistance and insights on how to consistently maximize the genetic potential of our flocks,” added Albie Esterhuizen, Managing Director, CC Chickens Ltd.

Elgin Free Range Chickens
The final visit was to Elgin Free Range Chickens, a reputable poultry producer who specializes in raising free-range chickens. They were presented with a certificate from Arno as a result of their best flock achieving 170.5 chicks per hen housed, and therefore gained Gold membership in the Arbor Acres Achievers Breeder Club.

“Arbor Acres customers have demonstrated exceptional broiler and breeder performance, and we will continue to highlight the impressive performance of the Arbor Acres breed through our Arbor Acres Achievers Clubs. It is of great importance to us to recognize customers who achieve extraordinary results with their breeder and broiler flocks. On behalf of Arbor Acres South Africa we would like to congratulate each and every one for their outstanding achievements. We wish you continued success and all the best in your future endeavours,” commented Arno.

View all pictures from the roadshow here.