In the lush landscapes of Mau Summit in Molo, Samson Ng’etich, a sheep farmer is revolutionizing livestock farming in the region with the most superior breeds from South Africa.
His farm, christened Penzi Farm, hosts hundreds of high-quality sheep, particularly the Hampshire Down breed imported from South Africa.
“When it comes to Hampshire here at Penzi Farm, we can proudly say we are the top Hampshire farm in the country. We have a number of imported ewes as well as imported rams,” he proudly says.
The farmer currently has imported Rambo and 15 imported ewes that are set to be duplicated to a near-Rambo for farmers looking for pure South African genetics.
“We also have the F1s and F2s as part of our new generation. They are equally good and they are very good rams for farmers who are trying to build their Hampshire flock,” Ng’etich added.
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He explains that for a farmer to get good-quality ewes, they should start their breeding journey with a pure high-quality genetics ram.
The farm, which started in 2021, is not only revolutionizing livestock breeding by advancing superior genetics, but it’s also promoting animal welfare and empowering local communities through knowledge-sharing.
Ng’etich explained that the farm started with a flock sourced locally which performed below his expectations, forcing him to turn to South Africa for quality breeds.
“We started the farm with a flock sourced from the neighbourhood. However, we were not satisfied with the performance and decided to start importing from South Africa. Ever since, we have not looked back,” he narrated.
He noted that the South African breeds portrayed some superior characteristics which make them easy to manage.
According to him, the animals have a high birth weight, fast weight gain between the ages of 0-3 months, and the food conversion is very high.
Ng’etich says the Hampshire breed is one of the best investments due to its high market demand and adaptability to cold areas. He keeps the breed purposely for mutton thanks to its fast weight gain.
