Bespoke software development and IT solutions — built lean, scalable, and tailored precisely to each client's operation.
Founded by Dirk Lombard, Valco Technologies develops proprietary software solutions for industry-specific challenges. Our software stays our IP — meaning every client benefits from continuous improvements for the lifetime of the product, without the cost of bespoke re-development.
From breeders and hatcheries through to broilers and abattoirs — one integrated system trusted by the continent's largest poultry producers.
Ornithon replaces fragmented paper and spreadsheet workflows with a single, accurate, auditable system built specifically for the African poultry industry.
Data is captured once, as close to the source as possible, and flows automatically through the system — from hatchery placement right through to slaughter and ERP integration.
All fields validated against breed standards for each specific flock. Bird age calculated to the hour and minute using weighted average placements up to catching.
Every data entry, update, and report pull is logged. Data is locked after financial month-end, stored securely in the cloud — never on local machines. Daily backups are standard.
Enter data once; pull unlimited reports and graphs. Standardised reporting across your entire group. Built-in forecasting, slaughter programmes, and farm standard curves.
Ornithon covers the complete production cycle. Each module is deeply integrated so data flows seamlessly from one stage to the next.
Manage parent flock data from placement through to depletion, with full egg production tracking and forecasting against breed standard curves.
Track egg setting, hatching results, temperature monitoring, and egg sales with full traceability back to parent flock and breeder deliveries.
Daily data capture for own farms and contract growers, with feed delivery tracking, mortality recording, and full depletion management.
Electronic scale integration for fully automated weight and time capture at the weighbridge — no manual input, no errors.
Compare farm performance across your entire operation using colour-coded dashboards, and forecast slaughter programmes with precision.
Deep two-way integration with leading ERP and financial systems. Ornithon pushes and pulls data automatically — eliminating duplicate entry across departments.
Ornithon's consistent, intuitive interface works across all skill levels — from farm managers entering daily data to executives reviewing production dashboards.
Multi-screen data capture — Flock Placements, Daily Site Info, Farm Summary and Abattoir Slaughter Info displayed simultaneously
Broiler Own Standard: mortality percentages, daily feed consumption, daily weight gain, and FCR — all tracked against breed standard curves in real time
7-day mortality benchmarking across all farms — colour-coded heat map instantly identifies underperforming sites across multiple production cycles
Hatchery setter temperature monitoring — hot spot and cold spot averages tracked daily across multiple setter machines with interactive filtering
Management graph: multi-metric flock performance view with breed standard overlay — used daily to manage farm production at a glance
Ornithon is engineered from the ground up for the realities of operating in Southern and East Africa — including areas with unreliable or slow internet connections.
All data is stored in Microsoft Azure — one of the world's most secure and reliable cloud platforms. Log in from anywhere in the world, with daily automated backups and zero local data risk.
Unlike web apps that transfer entire page loads, Ornithon's Windows client sends and receives only the minimum data required. Designed to work reliably on slow rural internet connections.
Contract growers and rural farm staff can capture production data directly from their Android phones or tablets — no PC required. Data syncs to the central cloud database automatically.
Built on industry-standard Microsoft technology — SQL Server and .NET frameworks — ensuring stability, performance, and long-term supportability for enterprise-scale operations.
Ornithon integrates with your existing ERP or financial system via web services and APIs. Data flows between platforms automatically, eliminating duplicate data entry across departments.
Ornithon replaces your existing weighbridge software entirely — pulling weight and time data directly from the scale hardware into the system. Eliminates manual input, prevents transcription errors, and closes loopholes for fraud at the weighbridge.
Errors are automatically captured with a screenshot and logged as a support ticket — sent directly to Valco Technologies. Problems are flagged before users even need to pick up the phone.
From South Africa's largest integrated poultry producers to operations spanning seven African countries, Ornithon manages some of the continent's most complex poultry chains.
Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Maravedi Financial SolutionsJust ask Valco Technologies, they can build you anything you want.
Financial Manager: Agriculture · Astral Foods
In addition to Ornithon, we offer two complementary enterprise software solutions used in conjunction with Ornithon at several of our clients.
A middle-layer application bridging your access control hardware and payroll system. Manage thousands of employees across multiple sites efficiently.
A centralised help desk integrated with your support email accounts, complete with Active Directory authentication and user management.
Whether you're looking for poultry management software or want to discuss a custom solution, we'd love to hear from you.