Poultry Farming in Kenya

  Humans make mistakes everywhere and learn from them. There are small mistakes that we laugh over, dust ourselves, take lessons and move on ensuring and swearing they will never again happen under our watch. However certain mistakes can have deadly and irreversible consequences and chicken farmers may have to exercise the greatest degree of care to avoid to them. Predator Risks The first and most important happens should be considered even before your very first chicken arrive. One of the greatest risk to chicken that can wipe off an entire flock apart from diseases is predators. The damage predators […] More

From my farming experience, Kienyeji chickens are the easiest  chickens to sell since there is always a ready market waiting for you. Kenyans prefer Kienyeji chickens more than ever not just because they are delicious but many Kenyans are increasingly growing suspicious of “factory-farmed” chicken meat such as broilers. They perceive Kienyeji as a healthier choice for them. If you are raising Kienyeji chickens, here are some of the best places to sell your chickens and eggs:- The Local Market This is the most obvious destination for your chicken produce. In my case, the local market absorbs 90% of my […] More

If you are not planning to raise exotic breeds commercially either for meat or eggs, the other option is to go for the hybrid poultry breeds in Kenya that do not require intensive damage and can do well in free range or semi-free range conditions. In Kenya, currently, there are five main poultry breeds that you can raise in “kienyeji” conditions. These are:- The original Kienyeji chicken KARI Improved Kienyeji chicken Kuroiler chicken Kenbrow chicken Rainbow Rooster chicken An overview of the characteristics of the original Kienyeji chicken Purpose: They can be reared for both meat and eggs Mature in […] More

  Building Kienyeji chicken house doesn’t have to be rocket science yet it is one area that many farmers generally get wrong. Many poultry diseases and productivity issues are a result of poor poultry housing. As a poultry farmer, you can get this process right from the word go by constructing poultry house that will meet the minimum requirements and create an optimal environment for your kienyeji chickens. Here is a look at some of the simple requirements that you need to keep in mind when constructing a poultry house for your chickens:- Watch on the Chicken House Orientation The […] More

  Constructing a kienyeji chicken house is one of the most intriguing steps for many first-time farmers but it doesn’t have to be rocket science. There are only a few critical areas that you need to keep mind in order to get it right. Failure to do always carries detrimental consequences. Some of the poultry diseases that you will have to grapple with a few months down the line are due to poor housing. The kind of house that you build and the quality of the biosecurity measures that you apply will play a major role in preventing or allowing […] More

Everyone trying to venture into a poultry farming enterprise in Kenya generally decries the general lack of funding to set up the business. You have to realize that you don’t have to start big. You can start with as little as 40 chicks and that costs only Ksh.4000 to Ksh.6000. Surely, if you are dreaming about venturing into a poultry farming enterprise, you must be able to raise this amount of money to start you off on your poultry farm. You don’t have to start with a mega poultry house. You can always improvise and partition a little space in […] More

With proper management, the mortality rate for your poultry layers should be very low. At rearing, the mortality rate generally does not exceed 5%. At lay, the mortality rate shouldn’t exceed 8% with proper rearing techniques. The age of lay in your chickens should start at between 18 to 20 weeks for the commercial layers. However, one issue that some farmers may grapple with is where the chicken starts to lay eggs and then stops along the way. There are several reasons why your chickens can stop laying eggs. Typically, a high performing hen should lay over 24 eggs per […] More

It is possible to get very good laying performance with the current chicken breeds in Kenya, particularly the commercial layers. Even the improved kienyeji chicken breeds delivers a fairly good laying performance. However, to get the best out of your layers, it is important to understand the laying capabilities of your chickens. You must also learn how to properly budget for your layer feeds from when they are day old to the time they hit the point of lay; know when to expect the first eggs, when to expect peak production in your layers, the duration of lay of your […] More

Businesses or proposed interventions are constantly faced with uncertainties. Building up a network of customers, having them willing to continually spend on your product or service and achieving the desired profits or objectives may many times be an uphill task.  Proper forethought and careful planning is therefore necessary to allay your fears and give you’re the information you need to take the desired steps. A Feasibility study therefore gives you that much needed opportunity to ask the relevant questions and get the answers that enables you to have a clear assessment of potential and thus predict the possibility of success […] More

Adequate training and proper business set up is a prerequisite to any organization willing to work with smallholder farmers in the poultry value chain or any investor willing to make substantial investments in the chicken, feed industry and processing industry. It is prudent to put in place a farmer or employee training plan in accordance with modern practices and standards and an establishment plan that ensures the farmer or entrepreneur starts off on a sound footing. In this regard, we offer consultancy services to organizations and entrepreneurs on the various poultry business models, training and set up which among others […] More

Poultry farming in Kenya is one of the fastest growing sectors in agribusiness. If you have some little capital and some cheap labor, you can easily set up a poultry farm and start reaping your profits in as little as five months. There are many reasons why poultry farming in Kenya is so popular with many entrepreneurs. These include the following:- Low Startup Capital: Did you know that you can start your poultry farm with as little as Ksh.5000? This is one of the main reasons why many are opting for poultry as an investment vehicle. Good returns on your […] More