Perches are important for chicken to roost on at night and during daytime. It also reduces boredom which can lead to antisocial behavior like pecking and fighting. Diseases and parasites may attack poultry when left to rest on the floor (in contact with the litter). Each one-meter perch may roost five adult birds.
The perches are best made from rounded sticks which are not too big or too small. They should be treated with used engine oil kerosene to keep away parasites. Perches should match sire of the birds’ feet. On our blog http://kienyejichicken.blogspot.com, you will find a detailed article on the importance of perches in the kienyeji chicken farming and management and how to build them.
Here are two examples on how you can construct your perches inside the kienyeji chicken house:
Chicken Runs
Chicken runs are a fenced open air space of 25 square metres or more where poultry are kept are protected against predators and thieves. Runs are also used for feeding, watering, for daily flock observation and collection of eggs. The walls are 2 meters high and can be made of clay or woven mat or chicken wire. A chicken run is relatively costly for small scale farmer but provides security to the poultry. Allow adult birds to scavenge outside the run during daytime to reduce feeding costs.
Allowing your kienyeji birds to run in the chicken runs and feed on the pasture, termites, vegetables and other naturally occurring food diversifies their diet and contributes to very good quality meat and eggs. You can get yellower yolks instead of the pale yolks. Some farmers buy improved kienyeji birds but still keep them in confined spaces which defeats the purpose of going kienyeji. If you are planning to rear kienyeji birds, then you have to create kienyeji conditions where they can freely graze while also supplementing their diets with commercial feeding.
For more on these, check out our KIENYEJI FARMING MANUALS