Poultry farming, or raising chickens for commercial purposes, is a profitable and viable venture that can generate a good income for farmers who approach it with diligence.
Fathers in the venture can choose to either breed day-old chicks or rare layers, broilers or the indigenous chicken, locally known as Kienyeji.
This article focuses on layer farming or raising chickens for eggs. Eggs are a staple in most Kenyan households. They are affordable, rich in nutrients, and consumed across all income brackets.
Hotels, schools, hospitals, supermarkets, and households are always in need of fresh eggs. With this consistent demand, layer farming offers you a reliable agribusiness opportunity.
According to poultry expert Antonio Innocent Mudong’I, layer farming is profitable but production is highly dependent on age. He explains that layers start laying from age 18 weeks to 36 weeks.
“Laying is directly proportional to age between week 18 and week 36. This means that the birds have 18 weeks of production. Assuming a 80 percent average production during the period, it means a farmer with 300 birds will be collecting 240 eggs a day,” he explains.
Assuming a selling price of Sh280 per tray, it means that a farmer with 300 birds will make daily sales of Sh3,040 throughout the laying circle.
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Mudong’I explains that part of the amount will cover some expenses such as feeds, labour and medication, among others. He notes that feed is the biggest expense, consuming about 70 percent of the total production.
“One bird consumes 100 grams of feeds per day. For 300 birds, they will consume 30 kilos. The cost of commercial feeds is Sh60 per kilo, meaning Sh1,800 will go to feeds daily. Assuming there are no other expenses, it means that a farmer will make a daily profit of Sh1,240 translating to Sh156,240 in the first 18 weeks,” he explains.
According to experts, layer farming requires a lot of expertise, from planning, budgeting, and housing.
A farmer needs to spend time and money to train a workforce on good poultry husbandry practices and equip them with necessary skills in stockmanship, healthcare, and general flock management.
On housing, more farmers are now adopting battery cage systems. However, animal welfare organisations advocate for the floor system, which allows birds more space to express their natural behaviour.
Whichever system selected should be built professionally with the biosecurity of the flocks in mind.
