The chickens come before the nest egg

Seldom does the opportunity arise to purchase a state-of-the-art business supplying chickens to one of New Zealand’s leading poultry companies. But such an operation has come to the market as a freehold going concern with Bayleys as part of their current Total Property campaign.

Shane Snijder and Bob Croft of Bayleys Counties along with colleague Karl Davis of Bayleys Waikato are marketing a substantial 38.6039 hectare property at 11 Fisher Road, Netherton, an hour from central Hamilton and just 113 kms from downtown Auckland.

“Here is an opportunity to secure one of only 170 large-scale poultry operations in New Zealand,” says Snijder.

“This is a lucrative chicken-rearing operation supplying chickens to Inghams Enterprises Limited with a contract in place to underpin future income projections. The business is currently grossing $850,000 per annum, which, given that Inghams handle a lot of the associated production tasks, is a healthy return. “

Full operational support is provided by Inghams to facilitate production of over 220,000 birds per 50-day run across four ultra-modern (six-year old) sheds.
“Inghams supply the day-old chicks and the feed, whilst a full-time manager oversees the growing cycle. Inghams then muster the birds and look after cartage. There is a 10-day cleaning and sanitising period between each production run whereby the sheds are prepared for a new intake of chicks,” explains Snijder.

“It’s an extremely efficient and effectively run operation with up-to-the minute computerised systems in place which would allow a hands-off investor to monitor all aspects of the operation remotely – and in real time.”
The property currently has an experienced full-time manager on the pay roll who is fully conversant with all aspects of the operation and this arrangement could continue with a new owner, allowing them to continue or pursue other business interests.

The broiler operation comprises four identical sheds each having an internal floor area of 2672sq m. Each shed has four 15 tonne silos with batch weighing systems and two sets of computerised scales.


There is also a staff amenities block which includes offices and bathroom facilities, a barn, a large four-bay rectangular shed, a generator room plus a decommissioned 10-aside herringbone shed which harks back to the property’s dairy farming roots.

The balance of the land not required for the poultry operation is subdivided in to approximately 1.6 hectare paddocks and used for grazing and grass silage. This land is currently leased at $22,000 per annum (total).
A relocated villa (circa 1910) which has been replied and remodelled is set in established grounds within the property and a Resource Consent is in place to build another dwelling close to the broiler sheds to allow efficient monitoring of the operation around the clock.

In addition, Resource Consents have been issued to subdivide the property into three lots and to allow for the building of an additional two sheds hence providing the opportunity to expand the current operation and increase income streams.

“I wish every property I had on my books attracted as much attention as this one has,” says Snijder.

“The phone has been running hot with calls across the spectrum - from investors in Australia to local Waikato farmers looking to balance their dairying, beef and sheep interests with a poultry operation, through to established New Zealand investors wishing to diversify their portfolios.”
Inghams Enterprises Pty Limited was founded across the Tasman in 1918 and is a multi-faceted company that now contributes significantly to the poultry industry both in New Zealand and throughout Australia. In 1990, Inghams purchased the complete operations of Harvey Farms in New Zealand - this acquisition establishing them as a fully-integrated operator in New Zealand and – nearly 20 years later - they are the second-largest player in this country’s poultry market.

Tenders close on 24 September with the Bayleys Counties office.