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Chicken breeds in Botswana

Botswana's chickens fall into two systems: the commercial sector, which relies on exotic broiler and layer lines under improved housing and feed, and the village system, which relies on the indigenous Tswana chicken with low inputs. These pages describe each breed, what it is good for, and what to expect.

Tswana chicken: Botswana's indigenous breed

The indigenous chicken of Botswana, kept in villages across the country under free-range conditions. Hardy and disease tolerant, but slower to grow and lighter at maturity than commercial breeds.

Ross 308 broiler

A fast-growing commercial broiler bred by Aviagen and the most widely reared meat chicken in Botswana. Reaches market weight in roughly five to six weeks under good management.

Cobb 500 broiler

A commercial broiler line from Cobb-Vantress, widely reared across southern Africa and comparable to the Ross 308 in growth and yield.

Hy-Line and Lohmann Brown layers

The two commercial layer hybrids used for table egg production in southern Africa. They start laying at around eighteen to twenty weeks and lay brown eggs almost daily through their first year.

Potchefstroom Koekoek

A South African dual-purpose breed with barred black and white plumage, good egg production and a useful carcass. Popular with free-range and smallholder farmers across the region.

Boschveld and Australorp

The Boschveld is a synthetic indigenous breed developed in South Africa from Venda, Ovambo and Matabele chickens. The Black Australorp is an Australian breed used in Botswana crossbreeding trials to improve Tswana chicken growth.