A new chapter in African poultry farming has begun: For the first time, an automated sorting machine for broiler breeder flocks has successfully been implemented in Namibia. The system, developed by Agri Advanced Technologies GmbH (AAT), a subsidiary of the EW Group, enables efficient and precise grading of birds by weight, enhancing flock uniformity and significantly improving overall productivity.
“It’s awesome how GRADY helps us get the correct data and counts. We can achieve greater precision in the process, resulting in more uniform flocks. And what’s best is that it will mean more eggs and chicks per hen,” said Johan Boonzaaier, Breeder Production Manager at Namib Poultry.
Founded in 2011, Namib Poultry is Namibia’s largest poultry company and now the first in Africa to implement this automated sorting and vaccination system. The fully-integrated company operates rearing sites, breeder farms, a hatchery, feed mill, and a slaughterhouse near Windhoek. With 9 rearing houses hosting 10,000 Ross 308FF breeders each, Namib Poultry manages a broiler capacity of 2 436 000 birds and slaughters 350,000 birds per week.
As an innovation-driven poultry producer, Namib Poultry consistently integrates new technologies to optimise flock management and health. Traditionally, sorting birds by weight – a process known as grading – is labour-intensive and time-consuming. The automated GRADY solution replaces manual sorting, enabling faster, more consistent handling of large breeder groups. GRADY classifies birds into defined weight groups, facilitating tailored feed distribution, synchronised onset of laying, and improved flock performance.
Grading at Namib Poultry occurs at 3 and 8 weeks, with an additional 12-week grading for males if necessary, along with transfer selection. During the grading process, birds are also vaccinated (wing, eye-drop, breast), starting from 9 weeks, reducing handling frequency, improving welfare, and ensuring staff safety.
“We are very impressed by the commitment of the Namib Poultry team – especially during the rearing phase. It clearly shows that location is no limitation when innovation and care come together,” remarked Jörg Hurlin, Managing Director at AAT.
The GRADY machine achieves impressive throughput, sorting more than 3,500 birds per hour at full speed, while maintaining very good flock uniformity, with coefficient of variation (CV%) between 4.5 and 6.5 per group. Thanks to this precision, Namib Poultry achieves laudable production results: over 200 eggs per hen house on some flocks and an average of 161 chicks hatched per hen house. By ensuring precise grading and accurate data, the system provides a clear quality advantage that directly translates into stronger production results.
With the successful rollout in Namibia, AAT continues its global growth strategy. GRADY is already in use globally, helping poultry producers improve operational efficiency, animal welfare, and flock performance. Looking ahead, Namib Poultry is preparing to adopt the Vaccybot as soon as it is production-ready, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to innovation.
“Namib Poultry stands on innovations and continuously tests new technologies. We are thankful to the entire team for their dedication, particularly in rearing, which proves that high quality poultry production is possible anywhere,” concluded Boonzaaier.
