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Powerful Ways to Make Money from Chicken Farming in Kenya

Curious about profitable chicken farming in Kenya? Discover innovative ways to profit from chicken farming in Kenya. Here are some game-changing ideas to turn your chicken farming passion into a goldmine.

This article explores the various aspects of chicken farming in Kenya, including types of chicken rearing, best practices, challenges, and market opportunities.

Introduction to Chicken Farming in Kenya

Chicken farming is turning into one of the profitable agribusiness ventures in Kenya. The increasing demand for chicken products like eggs, chicken meat, and related products has turned chicken farming into a lucrative business.

The venture is open to anyone willing to invest in it, whether a beginner or an experienced farmer, rich or poor; there is an opportunity for anyone. Rearing a chicken is one of the simplest activities for anyone.

If done right, chicken farming offers several powerful and creative ways to generate consistent income and grow into a sustainable business.

Requirements of Chicken Farming in Kenya

Business Plan: Define what you want to produce, either target meat or eggs. Select your poultry type: broilers, layers, or indigenous.
Capital. Chicken Farming in Kenya is a low capital investment business where, with a small capital as low as Ksh 20,000–Ksh 50,000, it can be enough, though it depends on the size of the project. Larger setups may need Ksh 100,000 to cater for all requirements.
Land and Housing: Construct a Secure structure for your chicken with enough space, proper ventilation, and protection from predators.
Feeds: Chickens need quality feed and supplements for optimal growth and egg production, such as starter, grower, finisher (for broilers), and layers mash, and supplements with vitamins and mineral-rich feeds.
Clean Water Supply: Chickens need a constant supply of clean, fresh water.
Quality Chick Breeds: Purchase healthy day-old chicks or vaccinated pullets from reputable hatcheries. Ensure they are the right breed that you need for your project
Veterinary Services: Chicken requires regular vaccination against common poultry diseases, such as Newcastle disease and avian influenza.
Marketing Plan: Identify your sales channels early – local markets, hotels, butcheries, or direct consumers. Use social media or farm branding to create awareness and drive sales.

You can carry out Chicken Farming in two ways:

Traditional Chicken Farming: This is a traditional form of poultry farming that most small-scale farmers engage in. Chicken is raised mainly for household consumption and may include indigenous breeds. This type of chicken farming is particularly popular due to low start-up costs and minimal infrastructure requirements.
Commercial Chicken Farming: This form of poultry farming is aimed at profit generation. It involves raising chickens in larger numbers and may focus on meat production (broilers) or egg production (layers). Commercial farms often require significant capital investment and infrastructure, but they yield higher returns due to economies of scale.

Selecting Chicken Breeds

Choosing the right chicken breed is crucial for a successful farming venture. In Kenya, farmers typically opt for the following breeds:

Broilers: Fast-growing chickens bred specifically for meat production. They are ready for market within six to eight weeks.
Layers: Chickens raised primarily for egg production. Popular breeds include the Lohmann Brown and Hy-Line, known for their high egg yield and adaptability to various farming conditions.
Indigenous Breeds: These chickens are well-adapted to local conditions and often have a low mortality rate. They are preferred by many small-scale farmers due to their resilience and better disease resistance.

Best Chicken Breeds in Kenya for Meat and Eggs

For Egg Production: Go for commercial layers (Lohmann, Hy-Line) or Kenbro for dual-purpose.

Advantages:

- - High-laying performance
  - Easy to manage in a controlled environment
  - Ideal for commercial egg production

For Meat: Broilers, Rainbow Roosters, or Kenbro.

1. Broilers

Weight: 2–2.5 kg at maturity

Advantages: Rapid growth rate. High feed conversion efficiency. Great for commercial meat farming

2. Kenbro

Meat Weight: 3–4 kg

Advantages: Hardy and adaptable. Suitable for small and large-scale farming. Performs well in both rural and urban setups

3. Kienyeji (Indigenous Chicken)

Meat Weight: 1.5–2.5 kg

Advantages: Highly resistant to diseases. Low input and cost. Popular in local markets for their taste and texture

4. Rainbow Rooster

Meat Weight: 3–4.5 kg

Advantages: Excellent for free-range farming. Strong immunity and survival rate. High demand in local meat markets

For Free-Range & Low Input: Kuroiler, Kienyeji, or Rainbow Rooster.

Kienyeji (Indigenous Chicken)

Advantages:

- Highly resistant to diseases
- Low input and cost
- Popular in local markets for their taste and texture

Best Practices in Chicken Farming

To improve productivity and ensure a sustainable poultry business, it is vital to adhere to best practices:

Proper Housing: Chickens require secure and clean housing to protect them from predators, keep them away from diseases, ensure comfort, and promote healthy growth.
Feeding: Farmers should invest in quality feed and supplements for optimal growth and egg production.
Vaccination and Health Management: Regular vaccination against common poultry diseases such as Newcastle disease and avian influenza is crucial, and monitoring for signs of illness can help prevent disease outbreaks.
Best practices such as maintaining hygiene, providing clean water, regular cleaning and disinfection of equipment, and isolating any infected chickens are crucial.

Ways to Make Money from Chicken Farming in Kenya

Egg Production – (Layers Farming)
Broiler Meat Production
Breeding and Selling Day-Old Chicks
Organic Chicken Farming
Chicken Feed Production
Selling Chicken Manure Sales
Value Addition and Product Branding

Egg Production – (Layers Farming)

Raising layers for egg production in Kenya. You can sell thousands of eggs daily to households, hotels, restaurants, schools, and supermarkets

Broiler Meat Production

Chicken meat business in Kenya is a hot cake. Raising broilers and selling the meat to butcheries, fast food joints, hotels, and individual buyers is a fast investment

Breeding and Selling Day-Old Chicks

Many farmers in Kenya buy chicks instead of incubating eggs, where they get quality breeds such as high-quality kienyeji, broiler, and layer chicks. Invest in an incubator to hatch chicks and sell them to other farmers

Indigenous Chicken Farming

The indigenous breed – kienyeji – is highly sought after, as many customers consider it healthier in nature. Kienyeji farming requires less input and thrives even in rural setups without too much attention.
You should target health-conscious consumers, local markets, and organic food lovers

Chicken Feed Production

You can venture into making chicken feed and selling it to customers or agrovets.

Selling Poultry Manure

Chicken manure is considered organic fertilizer, and it is quite valuable and is always in demand

Value Addition

Processing chicken products attracts higher prices. This can be achieved by processing products like sausages

How to Succeed in Poultry Farming in Kenya:

Join farmer cooperatives for better pricing and knowledge sharing.
Maintain biosecurity to prevent diseases,
Consider value addition, like selling processed chicken products.
Government programs often provide grants for agriculture-based entrepreneurship in Kenya.

Top Challenges of Chicken Farming in Kenya

High Cost of Poultry Feeds – Quality feeds are essential but expensive, reducing profit margins.
Diseases and Poor Biosecurity – outbreaks like Newcastle disease, fowl pox, and coccidiosis can wipe out entire flocks.
Unstable Market Prices – Fluctuating prices for eggs and chicken meat make income unpredictable.
Lack of Access to Quality Chicks and vaccinated day-old chicks are limited
Inadequate capital for investment to provide quality feeds, vaccines, vet support, housing, and farm management
Lacking the technical know-how to run poultry as a profitable agribusiness, leading to losses.
Predators and Theft