Small Scale Poultry Farming In Kenya | Starting Guide

Small scale poultry farming in Kenya beginners guide including initial capital, feeds, vaccination, methods of poultry farming, business plan, and many more.

Poultry farming is one of the fastest ways to grow into the business. Small scale poultry farming in Kenya entails rearing domestic birds such as chicken, ducks, turkeys, quails, geese, among others. The farmers can benefit from their meat and eggs to feed the family or can sell for income.

Cost To Start Poultry Farm In Kenya

Beginner farmers can find poultry firming a bit demanding since a lot attention and accuracy is needed especially in the first 8 weeks. For small-scale farming, the cost is lesser compared to medium and largescale farming.

Beginner farmers wonder, how much does it cost to start a poultry farm in Kenya? One may start with about 100 chicks to begin with for Chicken farming. It costs a poultry farmer about Ksh. 70,000 to raise 100 chick to maturity.

The assumption is without the construction cost of the chicken’s house. Besides, the cost can be less if the number of chicks you intent to care for are few.

Poultry Farming For Beginners Cost Analysis

The following is a general guide of the approximate cost you are likely to incur for raring 100 chicken.

Buying Three Days Old Chicks

All chicks should have already been vaccinated from Marek’s.
Every chick costs Ksh. 100 from a reliable seller
Approximate buying cost Ksh. 9,000- Ksh. 10,000

Chick Mash Feeds Cost

Chicks are feed on chick mash feeds for up to 8 weeks.
Every chick utilizes about 60g of the feeds every day for 56 days.
Each bag of feeds costs Ksh. 50
Approximate cost Ksh. 16,800

Growers Mash Feeds Cost

After 8 weeks, growers’ mass is introduced till the chicks are 19 weeks.
Every chick consumes up to 90grams every day for 77 days.
Every kg of the chick mash costs around Ksh. 35
Approximate cost Ksh. 24,255

Cost Of Equipment To Use

Includes drinking and feeding vessels
The chicken needs about 6 feeding vessels and 4 drinking vessels
The feeders combined can hold up to 10kg of feeds
And the drinks can be 10 liters of water.
Each vessel is about Ksh. 550
Approximate cost Ksh. 5,500

Miscellaneous

The famer has to consider inevitable expenses such as; transport costs, sawdust to cover the floor, and labor if need be.
An approximate of about Ksh. 8,000

Vaccination Cost

Excluding other medical expenses, the following is the expected cost of vaccination.

1^st and 2^nd dose of Gumbora costs Ksh. 350
1^st and 2^nd dose of Newcastle goes at Ksh. 350
Fowl typhoid costs Ksh. 200
Approximate cost Ksh. 1,900

Vitamins And Deworming Cost

The chickens are dewormed and vitamins supplements given periodically
Approximate cost Ksh. 300

Small Scale Poultry Farming Business Plan

Any serious business person cannot succeed without an operation plan. Therefore, a good poultry farming business plan in Kenya can lead to business progress and operation. The farmer should be familiar with the poultry farming idea, have the farm plan, and sort strategies to execute the plans successfully.

Elements Of Poultry Business Plan

Some of the plan’s mandatory elements include;

A suitable area for the business location
Ownership and management
Kind of poultry-cage
Clearly state the mission and vision of the business
Maintenance and plans for future expansion
Sale forecast and market targeted
Financial projections
Capital and expenditure
Sales and marketing strategies
Advertising strategies
Roles and responsibility
Financial projections
Competitive analysis
Assessment of risks involved
Products and services overview

Methods Of Small Scale Poultry Farming

The popular four methods of poultry farming in Kenya include;

1. Organic Method

The birds are allowed to roam around in an open field, but they cannot feed and access their treated drinking water randomly as they set on specific timings.

2. Free-Range Method

This poultry farming method in Kenya involves poultry in simple shelter structures where the poultry is only sheltered during the night and extreme weather. The birds of all ages can are left to roam in an open fenced field and nearby bushes.

3. Semi Intensive Method

The farmer provides the birds with two kinds of shelters, one is to keep them safe for the night, and the other is to confine them during the day from which they are fed and taken care of.

4. Intensive Method

The system is best for medium-scale poultry farming in Kenya, and it can be done in three types.

Types Of Small Scale Intensive Poultry Farming

There are types of intensive system can apply.

a. Deep Liter System

A deep liter system is when the birds are raised in a large open house whose floor is covered by sawdust, straw, reeds, and other favorable materials from the field.

b. Slated Floor System

Practicing slated floor system ensures that the birds are reared in an enclosed house with the floor made from a wire mesh or wood in the place of the deep liter.

c. Battery Cage System

In the battery cage system, the birds are reared in cages that can hold up to 8 birds. The cages are built especially so that the birds can feed in front of the front part, and the waste and eggs can be collected at the slopy end; the cages can be in layers.

d. Backyard System

Backyard practice involves the birds being fed mainly in the morning and evening; the rest of the day, they are left the go as far as they can to fend for themselves. The backyard system of Poultry farming in Kenya is embraced mainly by rural farmers.

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