Kienyeji chickens are one of the most coveted birds in poultry farming. This is due to their demand and profitability i  the market. Ruth Kemboi is among a few happy farmers enjoying the fruits of kienyeji chickens farming.

She moved from the routine cereals production and started poultry keeping about a year ago as an alternative source of income to supplement what they generate from maize farming.

Since then, she has never regretted in her new venture. She started off with the first batch of 200 indigenous birds in August 2013, her initiative has since expanded to over 2,000 chicken in the family’s Kabiyet farm in Moiben, Uasin Gishu County. “Maize, wheat and dairy agricultural sub sectors require a lot of space and time.

What motivated me to start poultry keeping is the fact that it is easily manageable within a limited space,” Kemboi tells says. She adds that keeping the indigenous birds does not require many expenses on feeds because they mostly consume what is readily available.

Kemboi revolves the 2,000 birds to meet the market demands for eggs and meat products in the region. She also hatches eggs and sells day-old chicks to residents. “The first batch of my poultry comprised 110 hens and 90 cocks.

Within six months, the hens started laying and I increased the number of birds by taking 100 eggs to a hatchery every week,” she says adding that she was able to attain the high of 2,000 birds within just one year.

Whenever mature chicken are sold on order, the newly hatched ones are used to replenish the number thus maintaining the 2000 birds. Kemboi also sells the surplus eggs locally and to other outlets in Eldoret town and earns a good Sh35 for each egg since they are fertilised.

From the hatchery, Kemboi also produces surplus chicks after every 21 days, which she sells at Sh125 when they are a day old.

“The demand for indigenous chicks is high and I sell them to local farmers and also to the neighbouring Marakwet County. I hire a hatching machine and pay Sh35 per chick thus earning me Sh95 per day old chick hatched,” she adds.

Her farm has several birds at different stages of growth and kept in separate simple and very neat housing units constructed with simple timber, iron sheets and mud walled structures with wire mesh that meets hygienic standards and favourable environment for the birds.

“There is high demand for chicken and I work extra hard to meet the market demand. During the peak season, I can sell upto 400 birds per month, each going for Sh620,” she says.

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She says after receiving the orders, she slaughters the birds at home and transport them to supermarkets, hotels and other outlets where there is good demand for indigenous chicken.

“This sector is so demanding. There is a time I received an order for 1,000 indigenous birds for its meat but I was overwhelmed and could not supply.

There is no time I lack market for my poultry products,” she says. Readily available She also keeps about 200 exotic broilers, which she also sells to some supermarkets in Eldoret town.

Kemboi says she can generate between Sh50,000 to Sh55,000 per month from the poultry keeping after expenses including electricity bills, charcoal, payment for workers and transport costs among others have been deducted.

She also plans to invest by buying a hatchery to minimise costs of hiring the services. Kemboi says the venture has assisted her meet financial needs as well as creating jobs in the area.

“Feeds for the indigenous birds are readily available. I feed them with maize germ, wheat bran, cotton cake, omena, rice bran and kales. I also buy food supplements to complement the feeds and ensure there is steady growth of the birds,” she says.

She points out that there is need for the government to consider offering subsidies for poultry feeds saying she incurs higher expenses whenever she buys them to supplement the available feeds.

The farmer also ensures that there is close monitoring of the birds so that they are in good health all round. She often administers vaccines to prevent any disease attacks. Kemboi adds:

“This business has assisted me because whenever there is need for money, I can easily dispose the poultry products because there is high demand.”

Mr Mike Kemboi, her husband is supportive and says poultry farming has assisted to offset some family expenses including school fees and other financial obligations.

“Poultry keeping generates daily income through eggs and other products. Since it was started a year ago, it has helped expand our income and we even expect to grow more as the enterprise expands,” says Mr Kemboi who is also a medium scale maize and wheat farmer.

She adds that the poultry project generates more than maize and wheat farming considering time and space used.