Kienyeji chickens are the common breed of chicken known across the country. These chickens tend to lay eggs and sit on them until they hatch. Farmers tend to rear them since they are highly profitable. For instance, they lay eggs and can be used as meat simultaneously. This is one of the advantages it has over broilers and thus what makes many farmers keep them. In addition, they are extremely cheap to maintain, and they don’t require any complex attention.
How to Feed Kienyeji Chicken
For your kienyeji chicken to be healthy and reach the desired market level, you need to consider some feeding procedures. In this review, I will highlight five ways to feed your kienyeji chicken:
1. Free-Ranging
Free-ranging falls under the most commonly used methods to feed chickens. With this type of feeding, the birds can feed freely across the farm or compound. It is considered among the best ways since they tend to eat various natural foods. Hence, you can always consider feeding your kienyeji chickens over-free-range as a recommendation.
2. Feed Them with Chick Mash
Chick mash is essential for chicks between one day and eight weeks of age. Usually, the chicks always require enough nutrients to facilitate their growth ability. In between the mentioned periods, feed the chicks with the mash and provide them with enough water. Later on, you will notice an amazing growth transition.
3. Provide Them with Kienyeji Mash
After eight weeks, you can now feed your kienyeji chicken with kienyeji mash. The kienyeji mash is essential for the general growth of your chickens. One of the advantages of kienyeji mash is that you can provide them until they grow old. This, in turn, helps your chickens reach the market’s desired size, thus resulting in the maximization of profits.
4. Feed Them with Growers Mash
Growers mash is fed to your kukus when they are about to lay eggs. They benefit a lot in terms of weight gain. A chicken that has been fed with growers’ mash tends to be healthy, and the chances for it to lay good eggs increase. During this period of feeding your chicken with growers’ mash, you must consider the best hygiene to increase the productivity chances.
5. Provide Them with Layer Mash
For better egg production, it is fundamental that you feed your kienyeji with layer mash. When your chickens are about to lay eggs, they require vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein, and energy. Layer mash is fundamental in this stage since it has all the mentioned components.
How to Start Kienyeji Chicken Farming
Before starting kienyeji chicken farming, there are some things that you need to take into consideration. In this blog, I will list and explain seven things to consider before starting kienyeji chicken farming:
- Have a Business Plan
A business plan is a critical document required before conducting any farming or business activity. The plan acts as guidance before setting up the real business. It is very fundamental since it plays a great impact in reducing confusion and minor errors.
- Find Market for Your Products
Kienyeji chicken is well known for both egg and meat production. This, in turn, makes keeping it advantageous. Usually, there is always a need to sell your products so that you can enjoy your profits. Therefore, as you are starting to rear your kienyeji chickens, be sure to have a market where you will sell the products at your own desired price. The market will also act as a motivating factor throughout your proceedings.
- Source Enough Capital
Capital is always necessary for any activity, be it farming or business activity. If you want to rear kienyeji chickens, you will require enough capital to help in the activity’s general management. However, you should consider raising enough capital.
- Buy Feeds
Your birds need food to survive; in the case of kienyeji chickens, you can always consider purchasing the required feed for them. These feeds include; growers’ mash, layer mash, kienyeji mash, chick mash, etc. When you feed them with the mentioned feeds, be rest assured of getting many profits.
- Construct a House
Shelter is fundamental and has a big impact on productivity. As a kienyeji chicken farmer, you should consider having a spacious house for your birds. The house should be well ventilated, well-lit, and clean at all times.
- Buy the Necessary Pieces of Equipment
It would be best to consider purchasing the required pieces of equipment to improve your production. For instance, you should consider purchasing feeders and drinkers. The mentioned pieces of equipment help minimize food and water wastage. This, in turn, leads to better growth and higher profit chances.
- Choose The Type of Farming
There is always a need to specialize in the type of farming activity you want. For instance, you have to either focus on small-scale kienyeji farming or large-scale kienyeji farming. The choice, however, depends on you or the amount of money you have. If you have a low budget, you can begin on a small scale and then expand your premises to a large scale.
How to Make Kienyeji Chickens Grow Faster
There are several ways to make kienyeji chickens grow faster. However, the main way is to follow the necessary feeding programs. You should feed them with mash and provide them with spinach, kale, and cabbage. This will eventually result in a faster growth rate.
Before beginning to rear kienyeji chickens, you must know how to feed kienyeji chickens from day one. Therefore, you should know the feeding programs to improve your results.
While rearing kienyeji chicken, you can always consider having a kienyeji chicken feeding chart. The chart will guide you on the number of feeds to provide to your chickens. This, in turn, will facilitate a good growth transition.
The Kienyeji chicken feeding program should be followed consistently. This will then lead to better performance of your birds, which will later result in profits earned.
How Much Should I Feed my Kienyeji Chicken a Day?
Typically, a chick consumes about 60 grams of feed per day.
Kienyeji chicken feed prices vary depending on the type of feed. However, the common feed goes at a price beginning at Ksh.50 per kg.
You can always consider feeding them with; wheat, maize, soya, and fish meal.
The cost of rearing 100 kienyeji chickens in Kenya ranges from Ksh.65,000 to Ksh.100,000 on average.
Kienyeji chicken diseases and treatment should be followed with a lot of keenness. You can always consider having a veterinary doctor that will help you with the medication procedures.
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