Bill Irvine and his wife began with a simple passion for quality chicks and honest service. Today, Irvine’s produces 104 million chicks per year, 228 tonnes of feed annually, 6.5 million table eggs every week, and 300 tonnes of frozen chicken weekly—a legacy built on dedication, innovation, and trust.

Key Achievements Over 60+ Years
A timeline that tells the story of continuous growth, pioneering spirit, and commitment to excellence.

1960s – Laying the Foundation

• 1960: First processing plant at Huxton Road, marking the beginning of frozen chicken production.
• 1962: Partnership with Cobb Breeding Company and importation of the first COBB100 birds.
• 1963: Installation of layer cages and start of commercial egg production.

1980s–2000s – Innovation & Expansion

• 1980: Construction of breeding houses and the Grand Parent Hatchery at Harare South.
• 1991: New Commercial Hatchery at Derbyshire Farm.
• 1998: Processing Plant upgraded to international standards.
• 2000–2001: Second Commercial Hatchery and introduction of automated egg grading.

2007–2015 – Building a World-Class Poultry Business

• 2007: Celebrating 50 years of poultry excellence.
• 2008–2013: ISO17025, ISO22000, and FSSC22000 certifications across laboratories, hatcheries, and the Processing Plant.
• 2009: Joint venture with Innscor, unlocking new growth and investment.
• 2015: Commissioning of a fully automated, world-class Feed Mill.

2018 – Quality That Inspires Trust

• ISO 22000 Certification for the Feed Mill—completing the food chain and strengthening the Irvine’s promise: Trust Earned.
• Continuous improvement ensures safe, high-quality feed delivered on time and at the least cost.

2021–2024 – Innovation & Growing with Zimbabwe

• 2021: Launch of the one-stop Farm Fresh Shop with an improved product range and shopper experience.
• 2022:
  • Commissioning of new environmentally controlled layer houses (CL4 & CL2) with 412,160-bird capacity.
  • Feed Mill wins NAQA’s Certificate of Excellence.
  • Hatchery expansion lifts weekly chick production to 950,000+.
  • Grand Parent expansion project begins.
• 2023:
  • Launch of Irvine’s Broiler Feed to complement Cobb broiler chicks.
  • SAQA International Standards compliance award for the Feed Mill.
  • Commissioning of commercial Layer House (CL3) with 235,520 birds.
  • Grand Parent expansion increases annual placements from 19,000 to 29,000, enabling production of 870,000 female Cobb parent stock.
  • Egg production surpasses 6.5 million per week.
• 2024:
  • New Growers’ Shops opened in Mutare and Bulawayo.
  • Harare Growers’ Shop & Training Centre upgraded and officially opened by Eng. Muguti.
  • Commissioning of a 120,000-per-hour Egg Grading Machine.

Growing Communities, Changing Lives
At Irvine’s, improving lives is as important as producing high-quality poultry. Our sustainability programs focus on education, empowerment, food security, and community upliftment.

Empowering Future Farmers
Support for youths, women, and communal farmers through training, mentorship, and technical support. Partnerships such as the Command Livestock Agricultural Programme, delivering 12 fully equipped broiler demo houses nationwide—each holding 2,500 birds. Irvine’s supplied first chicks and feed at no cost to help farmers get started.

Building Sustainable Livelihoods
Free rural poultry training leading to 95% success rates—matching commercial growers. Today, 90% of all broilers processed in Zimbabwe come from Irvine’s-supported contract farmers.

Investing in Our People
Modern staff housing, safe water, electricity, sewage systems, recreational facilities, and two well-staffed clinics. Schools run by qualified teachers support the families within our community. Over 2,500 people benefit from Irvine’s employee welfare infrastructure.

Supporting Those in Need
We support numerous institutions, including orphanages, senior citizens’ homes, rehabilitation centers, and the ZRP Waterfalls Dog Section. Beneficiaries include:
Jairos Jiri, Danhiko Project, Emerald Hill Children’s Home, Harare Children’s Home, St Joseph House of Boys, Athol Evans, Fairways Home, Waterfalls Trust, Beezer Organisation, and more.