🇳🇦NamibiaSouthern Africa
Rare 'Herero chicken' from Namibia gains popularity among South African farmers
via The Namibian6 min read
A rare chicken breed, dubbed the 'Herero chicken', originating from Namibia, has become a prized possession for many farmers in South Africa, fetching prices up to N$1 000 per bird. Emmanuel Mudau, founder of Mathuba Genetics, states that these chickens were brought to South Africa from Gobabis' 'Herero land' in 2001 by white farmers. Mudau highlights the breed's quality meat, disease resistance, and dual-purpose nature, laying good eggs and cleaning animal coops by removing ticks. The chickens are characterized by a beard, a crest, and abundant feathers on their heads, making them distinct. Despite their popularity in South Africa, many local Namibian poultry farmers and even a Herero historian, Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro, are unfamiliar with the 'Herero chicken', only recognizing the 'Wamboe chicken'. According to the Southern African Show Poultry Organisation Breed Standards, Johnny Morrison first brought these crested and bearded fowl to South Africa from Namibia in 2001 after discovering them among Herero homesteads north of Gobabis.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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