St. Catherine broiler farmer scales Real Yard Chicken with poultry automation

A St. Catherine poultry farmer is expanding a family-run broiler business by pairing his father’s farming foundation with new technology and tighter production management.

Kenoy Blair, 34, operates Real Yard Chicken in Riversdale, where the business has grown from 500 meat birds to about 3,600 and is still increasing. The farm began from a much smaller operation managed by his father, Philip Blair, who once kept between 25 and 75 birds in a modest coop.

The family also had experience rearing goats and pigs on the property. A major poultry setback came when a flock of nearly 75 birds was reduced to only three, a loss Philip Blair recalled as deeply painful for his wife.

Kenoy later took a larger role in the enterprise and began modernising the broiler operation. He said remote controls now allow him to switch on fans by phone while away from the farm, and the system can also be scheduled to respond when temperatures rise.

The farmer, who previously worked as a car salesperson, said discomfort pushed him into full-time farming. He saved enough money to give himself several months to make the transition, then committed to building out the business.

He also said Hurricane Beryl accelerated some of his plans. Goals he expected to pursue over three years, including acquiring a generator, solar capacity and a truck, were achieved within one year.

On processing days, the farm is supported by a team of 14 workers. Blair said the operation once used a standard plucker and needed five days to process 1,000 birds. After researching equipment online, he bought an industrial scalder and plucker from Alibaba to make the work faster and less labour-intensive.

The system moves birds through a scalding pool before dropping them into the defeathering unit after about 28 seconds. Blair said he is serious about any tool that makes the job easier while helping the farm meet growing customer demand.