In 1983 an 11-year-old Louwrens Swart bought his first 50 chickens from a local hatchery to raise on their family farm near Kroonstad in the Free State.
Louwrens and his father, who had loaned him the money to make this auspicious purchase, improvised a “boer maak ‘n plan” chicken house on the farm. Despite Louwrens’ best efforts only five chickens survived the harsh Free State winter. Louwrens was devasted at the loss of his small flock, but encouraged by his father, Louwrens tried again. And again. And again.
Each time things got a little bit better, with Louwrens’ father insisting that the young boy present him with a report on each flock and a plan to improve before a new batch could be purchased. The venture grew to the point where Louwrens had to commandeer his mother and a few of the local farmworkers’ wives to help slaughter and pack his chickens – all on order from family and friends.
While he enjoyed this activity and understood that his father was teaching him valuable business principles, Louwrens could never have guessed where the exercise would lead him or that he would one day own the very hatchery from which he bought his first chicks.