Peter Musyoka Kinyua a former banker holds a Ring Neck pheasant used for ornamental purposes. A pair goes for Sh60,000. [Muriithi Mugo, Standard]
Having worked in the bank for close to 10 years Peter Musyoka Kinyua found little time for his personal life.
After graduation from Egerton University in 2009, Kinyua looked for a job in vain. He decided to engage in boda boda business to earn a living.
“For two years, I operated a boda boda in Runyenjes town and was making a maximum of Sh300 on a good day. It was little but with it I was able to pay for cyber costs where I was making job applications,” says Kinyua
In 2011, Kinyua got a job with Equity bank where he worked as a field officer in Kitui and Embu counties. But he resigned last year to venture into ornamental bird rearing.
Kinyua got the idea of rearing="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/farmkenya/smart-harvest/article/2001395512/why-you-need-permit-to-keep-ornamental-birds"> ornamental birds< after a visit from a friend who had also ventured into the same business.
Kinyua, 35, used his savings to buy the birds and set up the structures in Rukuriri village, Embu East sub county.
The ambitious entrepreneur said he started with a capital of Sh20,000.
He used Sh5,000 to buy the first birds, Sh3,000 for a male goose and Sh2,000 female one. The rest he used to construct housing structures.
He started with one variety of geese, but now he has 342 birds of different varieties.
Soothing Music
Kinyua says though ordinary poultry and ornamental birds have the same food consumption needs, ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/farmkenya/livestock/article/2001347693/benefits-of-rearing-ornamental-birds-according-to-an-expert">ornamental birds< have more returns.
Kinyua sells a mature goose at Sh1,500 while a mature ornamental bird such as Ringneck fetches significantly more money.
The farmer has no regrets.
When he compares the monthly income of Sh50,000 he earned at the bank, to the more than Sh100,000 he now makes, he says he made a wise investment.
Interestingly, he says, after feeding his flock he plays for them soothing music to encourage them to lay more eggs.
“I noticed music made the birds happy and calm. This in turn triggers more egg-laying,” Kinyua says.
The farmer sells a single egg at Sh150.
“Selling eggs fetches a lot of money but some customers are not comfortable with coloured eggs, especially the black ones. That dents the profit margins sometimes. But the meat is popular because it is sweet like game meat,” Kinyua says.
He notes that while the crossbreeds do not fetch good money, he has managed to maintain the original breeds which help him maintain customers.
To get more customers Kinyua says they formed a social media group where they interact and share notes on a new market.
