Poor feeds equals small eggs and poor returns

**Bishop Charles Asilutwa attends to his improved chickens breed at his home at Kakamega Milimani estate on July 2, 2019.** BY BENJAMIN SAKWA

Not feeding your chicken right diet is setting up yourself for failure.

After being elected the new Bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya in Maseno North Diocese in April last year, Charles Asilutwa, had church members and visitors thronging his home seeking his services and blessings.

In August the same year, during a church event in Ikolomani, Asilutwa was shocked after realising the money they spent on buying chicken meat. But during the conference, Peter Ndeche, an entrepreneur, enlightened them on importance of being economically empowered by starting small businesses like poultry farming.

“He taught us how to rear poultry, the Kienyeji improved breed and I developed an interest in it. After the conference, I visited his farm in Ugunja, Busia County where I felt challenged,” said Asilutwa.

The following day he put up a poultry house and bought 150 chicks. One week later, he bought an additional 500 chicks that were one-day old at Sh50,000.

Asilutwa followed the script given by Ndeche and always made sure the chicks got the right vaccines on top of being fed on the right diet.

“The first five months you can easily give up. A lot of money goes into buying food for the chicks, patience is called for in this trade as you have to wait for the chicks to mature to start laying,” he added.

He said a Kienyeji improved chicken lays for six days in a week and in case they are stressed up, the birds can stop laying eggs for 14 days, adding that stress comes due to disturbance, shortage of food, excess heat, diseases, change of weather and change of feeds.

On top of store-bought food, he said he the birds are also fed on Sukuma wiki and managu. He sometimes allows them to move out of their houses under the semi-intensive system to get nutrients required to make them tasty before slaughtering.

“I collect between 500-600 eggs every day and in a month I have over 14,400 eggs which I sell at Sh20 per egg since they are fertilised, ” said Asilutwa. He has also started hatching his own eggs.

However, Robai Esitiakala, his farm manager, said in November last year, they almost gave up after over 150 birds died of a strange disease, saying they sought the advice of a livestock officer and sojourned ahead.

“Poultry business is well paying only when you are a determined farmer since the demand for Kienyeji chicken meat and eggs in the region is high,” said Esitiakala.

He said ACK faithfuls and leading hotels in Kakamega, Kisumu, Busia and Eldoret town are his main customers. So far, they have over 1,000 birds.

According to the Kenya Agricultural Research and Livestock Development Organisation (Karlo) – Kakamega Non-Ruminant Research Centre director, Ludovicus Okitoi, more farmers are going into poultry rearing for the past few months in Kakamega.

“More people continue coming to us for the improved Kienyeji breed which is a good sign. My advice to them is to always seek professional help whenever they encounter challenges,” he said.

He said his greatest advice to most people going into farming is to always get housing, vaccines and diet right.