When Judith Okanga decided to venture into poultry farming, she had no idea the business would pick up so quickly and become her main source of income.
The farmer earns a fortune from her poultry farm in Kitale, which operates under the name Bidii Farm. Okanga started as a side hustle and invested Sh200,000, which was used in the purchase of chicks, constructing chicken coops, and purchasing vaccines.
According to her, she realized poultry farming requires a lot of supervision as a slight drop in health standards can lead to death of the entire flock.
“One has to be very careful with how they take care of poultry. For instance, I allow only one sweeper and cleaner into the hen house to minimize contamination and maintain the highest possible standards. I also regularly vaccinate the chicken,” she said.
As such, she invested all her time there, and her efforts paid off well. She rears layers on her farm, which not only produce eggs for sale but also manure. Okanga spends an average of Sh10,000 a week to maintain her business, or Sh40,000 a month.
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From her 200 chickens, she earns about Sh100,000 per month from the sale of 140 crates of eggs per week. She earns another Sh100,000 from the sale of chicken and an additional Sh20,000 from the sale of manure.
She markets her products through word of mouth and sells them to individual customers, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, and kiosks around Kitale.
Her journey has never been a smooth sail, primarily due to costly feeds and poultry diseases. She notes that poultry diseases such as fowl typhoid and Newcastle can wipe out a flock within no time.
While there is no permanent solution for curbing these diseases, Okanga says they can be managed through regular vaccinations. She advised aspiring farmers never to give up, no matter the setbacks.
“Never give up. It takes perseverance and hard work to be successful in the poultry farming business. I have no regrets about taking it up, and I hope more farmers get into the business. Also, save as much as possible for expansion, and don’t be afraid of taking small loans to grow your business.” She said.
