Clinton du Preez has roughly 600 chickens of more than a few breeds smartly housed within the yard of his Stutterheim house within the Jap Cape. Mike Burgess visited him not too long ago to higher perceive his life-long pastime for breeding and appearing top-quality poultry.
Picture: Mike Burgess
Clinton du Preez (49), a former chairman of the East London Poultry Society, has had one consistent in his lifestyles: poultry. From early youth to mid-life and thru all lifestyles’s milestones, together with finishing college, securing his first activity, setting up his personal companies, and getting married and having kids, there has at all times been the clucking and crowing of chickens within the yard.
His love for poultry was once ignited when his grandfather, Stanley Sonnenberger, gave him 3 chickens on the gentle age of 7. Those 3 birds proved to be the leading edge for lots of extra that might populate the yard of Du Preez’s folks’ suburban house in Cambridge, East London.
On the other hand, the advance of his delicate passion within the extra targeted breeding and appearing of poultry was once fuelled by way of the friendship he advanced with famend East London poultry showman William Hunter. The 2 met in 1995, after Du Preez replied to his newspaper commercial regarding the sale of 3 Australorps. “We met and was buddies,” remembers Du Preez. “He helped me with the whole thing [relating to the breeding and showing of poultry].”
By means of 1997, the 22-year-old Du Preez confirmed his first chickens on the East London Agricultural Display to the good pride of Hunter. The aged Hunter, then again, kicked the bucket two years later, however had by way of then left a long-lasting impact on Du Preez, who has ever since been breeding and appearing poultry with nice luck.
Breeding
Du Preez’s number one center of attention is breeding more than a few cushy and difficult feather breeds (in huge and bantam) and an collection of true bantams. His favourites come with Bearded Silkies (white), Leghorns (white), Previous English Recreation bantams and a uniquely colored Leghorn (pile) bantam that he’s going to display for the primary time this season.
Consistent with Du Preez, irrespective of breed, the best-looking display chickens are nearly by no means those that produce the finest offspring.
“I’m at all times pissed off when someone asks for a chicken to reproduce with this is of display high quality. Folks assume those birds will breed remarkable poultry, however they’ll most likely breed not anything [of value] from them.”
Moreover, Du Preez explains, that even if the finest imaginable genetics for a particular breeding programme were recognized, handiest two out of each and every 10 chicks can be display birds, and it will additionally handiest be made up our minds after they’ve been allowed to mature.
He says some breeders recklessly introduce new birds into their breeding programmes, a dependancy that may incessantly have disastrous genetic penalties.
“The hybrid vigour can seriously change issues within the offspring, and you’ll be able to simply be saddled with greater than you bargained for. For instance, your birds can dramatically build up or lower in dimension, and sort can also be altered.”
Alternatively, if the focal point is an excessive amount of on a line-breeding method, the pitfalls can be a lot of, he says.
“We do line breeding, however you’ll be able to handiest move thus far sooner than you pick out up weaknesses within the ft, legs or wings, and birds will also increase crooked feet,” explains Du Preez.
“There is not any fast repair in relation to breeding. It’s at all times about steadiness, and also you will have to be happy with what you introduce into your established line.”
Breed requirements are formulated by way of the South African Display Poultry Organisation (SASPO), and breeding height display poultry is all about generating birds that bodily specific those requirements.
The issue is that breed requirements are in no way set in stone, and adjustments are made once in a while relating to color, weight and different attributes, making it important for breeders to be versatile. A contemporary instance of this was once the abolishing of the observe of dubbing in 2015, which concerned the trimming of combs, wattles and lobes in conventional recreation combating breeds.
“You by no means bred for the brush and a gorgeous head in recreation breeds. It was once all about frame, muscle, sort, energy, sturdy legs, agility and a powerful beak,” explains Du Preez. “Now, head issues also are of significance, and for instance, white lobes and fleshy combs that would merely be bring to a halt will now need to be bred out.”
Appearing, judging and auctions
In 2023, Du Preez confirmed poultry within the Jap Cape, together with East London and Komga (organised by way of the East London Poultry Society) and Bathurst (organised by way of the Jap Cape Poultry Membership) and extra afield, together with Bloemfontein (Loose State), Vryburg (North West) and Villiersdorp (Western Cape).
Step one to picking display birds is to cull the ones with glaring faults, together with crooked, feathered feet and shanks, dented breastbones and white within the lobes. As soon as the person display chickens are recognized, they’re meticulously washed, blow-dried or even have their combs oiled.
“You don’t need to know me all through this time,” admits Du Preez, a consummate perfectionist. “I’m very grumpy.”
In 2023, Du Preez additionally was the primary SASPO-accredited poultry pass judgement on from the Jap Cape in a long time. To be thought to be as a pass judgement on, an applicant will have to have confirmed the breed they want to pass judgement on for 3 years, and in all 4 categories: cock, cockerel, rooster and pullet.
Aspiring judges also are subjected to difficult idea assessments, seven judging apprenticeships at seven presentations, and a realistic exam by way of 3 certified judges.
Recently, Du Preez can pass judgement on Previous English Recreation and Leghorn types, and he hopes to qualify this 12 months as a pass judgement on for Orpington, Australorp and Rhode Island Purple.
Promoting and purchasing poultry is a the most important element to any rooster breeder’s repertoire. Poultry isn’t just offered after presentations, however auctions are the most important to supply distinctive genetics.
At the moment, poultry auctions are controlled by the use of WhatsApp teams like Saartjie Odendaal’s Poultry WhatsApp Auctions, a pace-setter on this box. Specialized puppy transporters make supply of birds from anyplace within the nation imaginable, and Du Preez for instance makes use of CT Birds & Poultry primarily based in Cape The city. In 2023, he sourced chickens from as a ways afield because the Western Cape, Loose State and Limpopo.
Control
Having over time relocated a lot of occasions, Du Preez is aware of precisely what he desires from rooster enclosures. He says all chickens will have to be housed underneath a roof and they’re by no means allowed out all through rainy climate. Walkways between enclosures are at all times concreted, and efficient drainage measures be sure mud-free dry areas through which to control the chickens.
His enclosures are constructed to obtain morning solar, whilst the flooring of all rooster coops are coated with recent noticed mud sourced from East London.
Chickens are fed all kinds of feed, however Du Preez’s usual ration for grownup chickens is composed of freshly flooring maize, Epol broiler submit finisher (pellet) wheat, sorghum and sunflower.
Younger poultry, from day-olds, are fed Epol broiler finisher (fall apart) and not the Epol starter with a purpose to arrange protein consumption. Different feed contains boiled eggs (chopped up finely), rice, spinach, cabbage, lucerne and bitter milk.
Poultry well being could also be the most important, and birds are vaccinated for Newcastle illness, infectious bursal illness (Gumboro), infectious bronchitis, chicken pox, infectious laryngotracheitis and infectious coryza. Decided on nutrients and minerals also are administered thru ingesting water.
The control of chickens is pricey and Du Preez admits that his display poultry mission is funded by way of his textile shops in Stutterheim and East London. “There is not any actual cash in display poultry,” he admits. “Nevertheless it hasn’t ever been about cash; I do it for the affection of it.”
Telephone Clinton du Preez on 083 486 6733.