I keep crocodiles and birds to attract tourists, farmer

Barnice Wambui ponits at a crocodile at the Cefra Farm at Ndagani at Chuka, Tharaka Nithi County. The eco-tourism facility also has exotic poultry and plants. At Cefra local farmers are trained to rear poultry PHOTOS: PHARES MUTEMBEI/STANDARD

It is not every day you get invited to a farm that keeps reptiles and not just any other reptiles; crocodiles.

“Don’t fear, come closer. They are friendly. They don’t bite unless they are hungry and disturbed,” farm manager, Barnice Wambui, says as she takes Smart Harvest team for a tour of Cefra Farm.

The farm is owned by one Franklin Riungu, but he has tasked Wambui to run it because of her passion for farming and her background in livestock rearing.

Cefra Farm in Chuka, Tharaka Nithi County, is a beautiful farm filled with equally beautiful creatures.

“Other than the three crocodiles, we also keep a number of exotic, ornamental birds,” says Wambui who has a degree in Economics from Chuka University.

Given that the reptiles need plenty of space on land and water to thrive, they occupy an acre, and is clearly demarcated from the birds that sit on a half an acre. Each of the crocs has its own pond and space to thrive.

A small space is demarcated for growing a number of easy-to-grow vegetables and maize which are feed to the birds upon maturity.

Wambui says the reptiles are purely for aesthetics.

“We do not breed them for sale. They are just like a tourist attraction to the farm. We plan to start selling their meat and eggs in future once everything is in place,” she says.

Starting such a venture, Riungu admits, is a costly affair.

“I got interested in rearing crocodiles after a visit to the crocodile farm in Karen. I learnt a lot on what it entails to set up such a project. That is also where I got the parent stock,” Mr Riungu says.

To be allowed to keep crocodiles, Wambui says one has to first apply for a permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

KWS PERMIT IS A MUST

“If you want to keep such, KWS officers have to come and ascertain that you have the capacity in terms of space and secured structures. Before giving you a certificate, you must have measures in place that guarantee the safety of the animals and the people around them,” she explains.

Wambui says crocodiles are heavy feeders. To keep them healthy, they are fed on chicken, rabbits and other types of meat, either from the farm or the butcheries.

“We feed them once a week. We usually slaughter an animal or buy meat from the butchery. They eat cow, goat, and even sheep meat,” says Wambui, adding that since their digestion is slow, they go for long periods with a full stomach.

CROCS RARELY GET SICK

“Eating the meat plus the bones means they will stay up to a week as they digest the food,” she explains.

The beauty about crocodiles, she points out, is that they are comparatively hardy animals which are not often troubled with disease as long as they are kept warm, reasonably clean and well fed.

So it is imperative to keep their surrounding fairly clean especially the pond water.

“We change their water as soon as it gets dirty. Crocs love clean spaces,” she says.

VET EXAMINES THEM

There is a vet officer who checks on the crocs and the birds to ensure they are healthy always.

“When we notice the crocs are not in their element, we call on the vet to check on them. The vet also keeps a close eye on the birds, just to ensure they do not pick any diseases,” Wambui explains.

To keep diseases at bay, they employ strict biosecurity measures at the cros structures and where the birds are kept.

For instance, use of footbaths for everyone entering the farm is a must, she points out. For the birds, the vet also helps us to maintain a vaccination schedule.

HARMLESS WHEN UNDISTURBED

Wambui says crocodiles are easy and harmless creatures and cannot attack unless they feel threatened.

“We humans are the ones who like to disturb these creatures when we spot them. The first instinct when you spot it is to hit it with a stick even when it is resting peacefully. But if you leave it and go your way it will not attack you,” she says.

Even though Cefra Farm only keeps the reptiles for tourist attraction for now, Wambui says they plan to open a restaurant by the end of the year which will be serving crocodile delicacies.

“By the way, crocodile meat is very nutritious and tasty and it fetches good money. So the future is bright.”

“Construction has already started. We will also have boarding facilities for visitors who want to come and learn farming and marvel at the birds,” she says.

Because of their beauty and elegance, the exotic birds are also a sight to behold on the farm.

STUNNERS

The over 500 birds include the Frizzled, the Silkie, the Ring-necked pheasant, Belgian bearded or the All Black.

Wambui says the birds are not primarily for meat, but are ornamental.

The other bird species — Jersey giant (hen) American pekin duck, Roen, Cayuga duck, Oland goose, Fan-tail pigeon and Vulturine guinea fowl— are not for food, in spite of them having tasty meat.

One of the stunners that wows guests is the frizzle.

“That’s a gem right there. It’s a real beauty. The frizzle eats little food, unlike the kienyeji chicken.

An egg costs Sh200 a piece.

“It lays either white or tinted eggs, which are tastier than eggs from local hens,” says Wambui, adding that the hen can lay up to 150 eggs annually.

Each of the birds has distinct characteristics and nutritional values.

Like chicken, the birds are feed on various chicken mash depending on their stage of growth and development.

The birds also eat cabbage, spinach and kale leaves and maize which is all grown at the farm.

Ms Wambui who has facts on hundreds of exotic birds at her finger tips, also trains farmers who throng the farm every so often, on poultry farming.

“We have been supplying farmers with fertilised eggs after we train them. We make visits to ensure they are feeding and handling them properly. We have training rooms where we teach youths to take up poultry and other types of farming, instead of relying on white collar jobs that are hard to come by,” she says.

So far, they have trained farmers in Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Embu counties on how to successfully rear these birds.