We have been mulling over just what inputs would most improve the food production and income generation of our health builders. In June, a nutritionist did a survey of the rural area served by
the health builders of the Izulu Orphan Project in Zululand. One of her conclusions was that the people are lacking high quality protein and that eggs would be the best source.
We did home visits and interviews with most of our health builders in July. We have seen a large variety in the gardening skills of health builders, the states of their gardens, fencing, and poultry
rearing. In all gardens, there was a lack of good fencing, and evidence of significant damage to vegetable crops from poultry, goats or cattle. On one extreme, the family of a health builder named
Sandile has sold about 200 chickens in the last year, which each sell for about $6.70 a live grown chicken. In her household, there are seven people, two adults and five children. They produce
15-20 eggs per week, which the family consumes. They have a chicken coop as well as a rearing pen where there were 30 chicks with a heating light. They purchase chicks and commercial
crumble feed for the chicks. Twenty-two pounds of this feed costs about as much as a live grown chicken.
On the other extreme were a few health builders that had no gardens or animals at all. None of the health builders used mulch. Most had access to water and all have land in this rural area.
After seeking the input of health builders and consulting with the director of gardening of the Community Works Project in the area we have formulated a plan. In a step-wise fashion, we will
introduce sunflowers and corn grown in grass mulch for feed, improve the fencing with chicken-wire, build chicken coops which include nesting areas and finally introduce chickens.
the health builders of the Izulu Orphan Project in Zululand. One of her conclusions was that the people are lacking high quality protein and that eggs would be the best source.
We did home visits and interviews with most of our health builders in July. We have seen a large variety in the gardening skills of health builders, the states of their gardens, fencing, and poultry
rearing. In all gardens, there was a lack of good fencing, and evidence of significant damage to vegetable crops from poultry, goats or cattle. On one extreme, the family of a health builder named
Sandile has sold about 200 chickens in the last year, which each sell for about $6.70 a live grown chicken. In her household, there are seven people, two adults and five children. They produce
15-20 eggs per week, which the family consumes. They have a chicken coop as well as a rearing pen where there were 30 chicks with a heating light. They purchase chicks and commercial
crumble feed for the chicks. Twenty-two pounds of this feed costs about as much as a live grown chicken.
On the other extreme were a few health builders that had no gardens or animals at all. None of the health builders used mulch. Most had access to water and all have land in this rural area.
After seeking the input of health builders and consulting with the director of gardening of the Community Works Project in the area we have formulated a plan. In a step-wise fashion, we will
introduce sunflowers and corn grown in grass mulch for feed, improve the fencing with chicken-wire, build chicken coops which include nesting areas and finally introduce chickens.
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Poultry for Protein and Profit
Sandile and her family had the best fence that we saw out of all the health builders' homes that
we visited.
we visited.