Poul Mirak Co-operatif (Miracle Chicken Co-op)

The chicken farm co-op project is located near Love A Child’s new Marketplace (Gwo Maché Mirak).

The Poul Mirak Co-operatif (which translates to Miracle Chicken Co-op) is a unique social enterprise model that was established as a project for gaining self-sustainability and dignity through sustainable enterprise. It operates in conjunction with and in support of Gwo Maché Mirak. This one-of-a-kind model for long-term sustainability relies upon focused donor support to provide the foundations of infrastructure and working capital to begin a broiler growing operation. Five eager locals were picked to join the co-op. We equipped, trained, and now mentor these five members to offer a hand up in lifting their community out of poverty.

Our model not only provides a way for five local families to become independent businessmen, but it also accomplishes its three key objectives for breaking the cycle of poverty:

Please take a moment to view our image gallery below.

This unique co-op model is sponsored by Mike Welch of Harrison Poultry, Larry Guest, and the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program.

Five hundred little chicks arrive each week at Poul Mirak Chicken Co-op. This is a sustainability program teaching Haitians how to help themselves.

In 8 weeks these baby chicks will be ready for market.

Houses rotate into production, raising chickens one week apart. Six houses are growing chickens simultaneously. Shades are added to the chicken houses, which will help keep the chickens cool and dry.

Located right behind the Grand Miracle Market, Poul Mirak produces hundreds of chickens each week to be sold in the market.

Chickens are given special food that the co-op members have developed to ensure maximum growth cycle.

As the program progressed in the past year after their first four weeks of self-reliance, the co-op management is doing well! They are now making their feeds, thereby reducing their costs by almost half.

As the co-op members review the spreadsheets they see that the co-op is doing really well and the community now depends on this new business to provide healthy, tasty chickens every week. Everyone is better off.

The co-op members work hard to ensure they have a good healthy product to sell to the public. This means keeping the chicken houses clean and ready for the next batch of baby chicks.

Freddie is fixing the shades so the birds don’t get overheated and die.

Ronald brings out a chicken ready for sale.

The chickens are off to market. This entire flock was sold for preparation for a big Haitian meal this weekend.

Julma stops by to buy a chicken for his family dinner.

Packing up chickens to be sold in the marketplace.

Over the last year and a half, the men of the co-op have faced many difficulties, from political to economic, diseases, and much more. However, these men know what it really means to endure.

They have shown patience and a desire to learn and improve their community by supplying chickens as a much-needed source of protein in the market and extra income for their families.

On a recent weekend, the co-op members had great success by selling almost 500 birds in just a few days, despite political unrest, resulting in one of the biggest gains for them yet!

David is studying the most recent cycle of sales.

Bob is one of the co-op members who is successfully raising and selling chickens to wholesalers and locals for their families.

By all development standards, Poul Mirak is a great success. We thank Mike Welch and his friends at the International Poultry Foundation whose mission is to assist in establishing successful chicken projects in developing nations. Their unique model for Poul Mirak is the first of its kind anywhere and it is demonstrating that having the courage to try new ideas really can pay off.

We have continued developing our Poul Mirak Program, and we now serve more remote villages than in previous years, helping Haitians become self-sufficient and restoring their pride and hope for a better future.

How the chicken project works…

Each week one of the nine growing houses in operation receives between 400-500 baby chicks to begin their 6-week growing out period. When they attain market weight in 6 weeks, they are then sold to wholesalers or retail customers. Six of the total nine houses will hold birds during their growing period, while one house holds the chickens ready to sell that week, as they have finished their 6-week growing period. The other two houses are cleaned and are “resting” for two weeks as a sanitation and bio-security measure. These nine houses rotate in and out of production as the birds grow and develop to market weight. This production system allows the co-op to continuously have fresh, tasty, locally-grown birds for the market.

Love A Child is now offering a training class for raising chickens in Haiti…

Love A Child, through its Poul Mirak Chicken Co-operative, is now offering a training class for raising chickens in Haiti. One of the stated objectives of our Poul Mirak chicken co-op is to ensure a place of continuing education in basic poultry science, geared specifically to conditions in Haiti.

It is a residential program where students will come and stay in the ATC bunkhouse to live, learn and work together. After operating successfully for three years, our co-op members are now offering the “Poul Mirak chicken school”. This course runs for 6 days, covering basic poultry science; how to raise chickens, from 1-day old through egg-laying age. Students learn how to raise chickens for both meat and for eggs.

The cost of registration and tuition is $155 per student which includes, room and board, instruction, books, a student t-shirt and a Certificate of Completion. Upon completion, students should have enough knowledge and skill to confidently raise chickens for meat, and eggs either for consumption or as a small business enterprise.

Please contact Rad Hazelip at the Ft. Myers Love A Child office for further information or to register a student. Rad Hazelip, 239-210-6107, or email [email protected]

To learn about all of our programs, please visit our Sustainability Initiatives web pages.

(Return Home)

Poul Mirak Co-operatif (Miracle Chicken Co-op)

The chicken farm co-op project is located near Love A Child’s new Marketplace (Gwo Maché Mirak).

Our model not only provides a way for five local families to become independent businessmen, but it also accomplishes its three key objectives for breaking the cycle of poverty:

Please take a moment to view our image gallery below.

How the chicken project works…

Love A Child is now offering a training class for raising chickens in Haiti…

Agricultural Training Center Appropriate TechnologiesChicken Co-opEdible Plant Nursery Marketplace Reforestation

Poul Mirak Co-operatif (Miracle Chicken Co-op)

The chicken farm co-op project is located near Love A Child’s new Marketplace (Gwo Maché Mirak).

Our model not only provides a way for five local families to become independent businessmen, but it also accomplishes its three key objectives for breaking the cycle of poverty:

Please take a moment to view our image gallery below.

How the chicken project works…

Love A Child is now offering a training class for raising chickens in Haiti…

Agricultural Training CenterAppropriate TechnologiesChicken Co-opEdible Plant NurseryMarketplaceReforestation

Agricultural Training Center Appropriate TechnologiesChicken Co-opEdible Plant Nursery Marketplace Reforestation