Originally kept by the Venda people of Limpopo, the Venda chicken is an alert, hardy, and resilient indigenous South African breed. While considered a dual-purpose bird, the Venda is primarily valued on farms for its natural pest control abilities, especially its habit of removing ticks and flies directly off livestock—much like the Boschvelder.
This breed is exceptionally tough and highly predator-aware, often flying up into trees for safety. Vendas are natural free-rangers and thrive when kept alongside cattle and other farm animals. However, while they’re incredibly effective at keeping pests in check, they can be hard on gardens due to their constant scratching. Their scavenging ability is impressive—they’ve been known to eat everything from seeds and scraps to lizards and small rodents.
Vendas start laying at around 5 to 6 months of age, and the hens are known to be excellent brooders and mothers. On average, they will produce 180 to 200 large, light beige eggs per year.
A typical Venda should display a red single comb and wattles, with mottled plumage consisting of black, white, and occasional touches of brown.
Greenhills Country Farm currently supplies Black-and-White Venda chickens, though on rare occasions, some of our birds may show a few brown feathers, which is a natural and harmless variation.
