There’s a growing demand for ornamental birds in the country, and people in this new farming area are making good money from raising these exotic birds.
Opponents of keeping ornamental birds will hit you with the ‘Why keep birds you can’t eat?’ argument. In Kenya, however, a few farmers have chosen to raise a variety of these exotic birds.
Shamir Odhiambo is one of these farmers, raising various exotic birds on his quarter-acre farm in Kiamunyi, Nakuru County. He is a youthful farmer who smiles his way to the bank courtesy of these not-so-common birds.
In an interview, Shamir shared that he keeps 12 bird varieties such as Emus, Chinese Geese, Parrots, Swans and Silky Bantams.
He said that his passion for birds began before he started with ornamental ones. He first raised pigeons, then regular chickens and later ornamentals.
“After introducing ornamentals, I came to realize that they are more profitable than chickens. That is how I diverted fully into ornamentals,” he said.
Shamir, though not an expert in bird keeping, was inspired by a friend’s visit, which led him to research the birds online. In 2018, Shamir Pius Odhiambo left his job as a local chef to focus on ornamental farming.
The Kenya Wildlife Service issued him a permit, which is required for keeping ornamental birds. Since then, Shamir has never looked back. He started with guinea fowls and later added turkeys and peacocks to his collection.
On his farm, he has kept Ostrich-resembling birds known as Emu. Shamir states that these are his greatest motivation to keep ornamental birds.
An Emu can lay 35 eggs per season. A day-old to one-month-old Emu costs Sh. 35,000 each. A fully grown, healthy Emu is priced at Sh. 250,000, making a pair cost Sh. 500,000.
Shamir also has Chinese Geese, which produce more eggs than regular geese. A day-old to one-month-old Chinese Goose costs Sh. 5,000 each, while a mature Chinese Goose is priced at Sh. 25,000. They can lay up to 70 eggs per year.
In addition, Shamir raises ornamental chickens instead of ordinary ones. He finds them more beneficial because they consume less feed compared to regular chickens. This has enabled him to cut down on expenses while maximizing returns.
“For Silkie chicken, a day-old to one-month is Sh. 500,” he said.
“They don’t eat as much as regular chicken. Then if you compare price-wise, they are better than regular chicken. Regular chickens consume a lot and the price of chicken feeds has increased greatly in Kenya,” he told Citizen TV.
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Despite being on a quarter-acre farm, the over 200 birds occupy less than half of the space. To grow his flock, Shamir continues to build more structures to house the birds.
Shamir pointed out that ornamental birds need a specific feeding approach. Choosing cheaper feed can lead to lower production and more illnesses. For example, he avoids giving Chinese Geese too much protein to prevent issues with mating.
He maintains strict cleanliness on his farm to prevent fleas and mites that could spread diseases. He also regularly vaccinates the birds and deworms them every four months. These birds are highly valued by the Asian community and expatriates in Kenya.