Kenya: When the quail wave came, many farmers embraced it with open arms, but were heavily disappointed. Elijah Muigai, a chief from Milimani West Location in Nakuru County, is one such farmer.

After that misshap that cost him several thousands, he has wisened up and is now doing poultry farming.

“I made serious losses from those quails but I have now learnt my lesson. After that nasty episode, I decided to rear chicken and see how it goes,” Muigai says.

Muigai chose the new koroila chicken breed after hearing testimonies of the high productivity from residents.

“I was inspired to start rearing the koroila after I saw how rewarding it was for farmers in my locality. I started mine last year and so far, so good. With this breed one can get a kuku as heavy as 10 kilos which is highly nutritious. And the demand is crazy,” Muigai tells Smart Harvest at his farm.

Starting off, Muigai bought over 600 eggs from well-established poultry farmers in Kericho that later hatched into chicks. In four months, the birds matured and within months his brood increased to more than 1,000 chicken.

He says he was attracted into rearing this bird due to its fast maturity, cost-effective production.

“Unlike other chicken with an average laying capacity of 21 eggs per month, koroila has a continuous egg laying pattern. It also has nutritious meat and a healthy animal weighs anything between 6 to 12 kilograms,” Muigai shares.

In a month, the father of four earns Sh80,000 from the chicken he sells. He uses the money to pay school fees for his children and 10 adopted orphans.

He also collects an average of 30 eggs per day that earns him approximately Sh20,000 per month.

He sells his produce to hotels, supermarkets and to individual consumers as well.

According to the farmer, a mature cock goes for between Sh1,500 to Sh2,000 compared to Sh600 for the normal bird.

Why is it attractive?

“This bird can easily be reared by people who live in urban areas and have a small space. It also requires little capital to start,” he says.

The bird has different colours ranging from brown, black and white and matures after four months of hatching.

 

At that time, the hens start to lay eggs while cocks are ready for slaughter. Feeding of the bird is also cost effective as it eats normal feeds including cereals and vegetables.

The egg is also bigger in size and one fetches Sh50 compared to normal eggs which fetch Sh20 at the local market.

Muigai also collects an average of three bags of waste from the birds in a month which he uses as manure for his farm.

He is planning to increase the number of birds to satisfy high demand for eggs, chicks and meat in the market. “Though we hatch an average of 600 chicks in a month, the demand for the birds is so high, I am thinking of expanding this poultry project,” he says.

For improved production, he advises poultry farmers to maintain high hygiene standards, conduct regular vaccination, deworming and best feeding practices.

“Since I ventured into bird rearing, my flock has never been attacked by disease because of good management practices,” testifies the farmer.

Record keeping is also another mandatory requirement to help track production expenditures, losses and profit.

To acquire improved breeds, he encourages farmers to conduct inbreeding to avoid disease infestation.

“Farmers should practice inbreeding to create breeds that are disease resistant,” Muigai observes.

Despite farmers going for the breed, Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has not conducted research on best rearing systems of the bird believed to have originated from India.

KALRO research assistant Damaris Liyingi says an average of two farmers inquire about the breed almost daily. “KALRO is working on strategies of best ways of conducting research on koroila due to high demand by farmers to enable them know best rearing practices. Most of information is testimonies from farmers that are already keeping the bird,” says Liyingi.

Liyingi says farmers love this koroila variety because of the low cost of maintenance of the bird and the high returns it attracts.

According to her, an average weight of the heaviest improved indigenous bird is 2.5 kilogram for a cock and 2 kilogram for a hen.

She, however, encourages farmers starting chicken enterprise to know market requirements, target market, investment costs, running costs, and expected revenue.

“Farmers should go for a variety they consider more productive that can improve their livelihoods,” she advises.


 

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