Originally kept by the Venda people of Limpopo, the Venda chicken is and alert and hardy indigenous breed. They are considered a dual-purpose breed, however they are kept mainly for pest control on farm. Venda will remove tick and flies straight off of livestock much like the Boschvelder.
This breed is exceptionally hardy and is able to fly up into trees to escape predators. They enjoy free ranging and will do well when left with cattle and other farm animals. While they are excellent for pest control for livestock they will scratch up a garden quite quickly. They are excellent scavengers – the Venda has been known to eat seeds, scraps, lizards and small rodents.
Vendas start to lay at around 5 – 6 months and make good brooders as well as mothers. They will lay approximately 180 – 200 large, light beige eggs a year.
Vendas should have a red single comb and wattles with mottled feathers containing black, white and the occasional browns.
Livingseeds Hatchery currently supplies Back-and-White Venda chickens, on the rare occasion brown feathers do show up in our birds.