Young Kisumu farmer kills two birds with one stone in foreign poultry breed

With a capital investment of Sh900,000, Herrine Omenda, 32, ventured into poultry farming with a mission to kill two birds using one stone.

In early 2015, her husband Charles Odera introduced her to farming at their two-acre parcel at Kasule in Nyamasaria, Kisumu County, where he practised mixed farming.

Herrine, a mother of one, had interest in poultry, and after discussions with her husband, they decided to start a small poultry farm.

“We wanted to do poultry farming differently so my husband and I consulted friends who told us about some breed of from India good for both meat and egg production,” she says.

With little knowledge on poultry farming, Herrine quickly did some research on the Internet where she got information about the much hyped Indian curoilers, a cross-breed between layers and broilers.

“We discovered that the bird is not a heavy feeder compared to local breeds and does not brood at all. It lays eggs its entire life,” says Omenda.

She downloaded information on how to care of the birds since she did not know anyone within her locality whom she could learn from.

Proper feeding

With some savings and a boost from her husband, the CPA student at KCA Kisumu campus raised the Sh250,000 required for the purchase of the first batch of one-day-old curoilers from India.

She also had to construct chicken houses, buy feeds and poultry equipment.

The cash was enough to purchase 1,000 chicks and the cost of delivery. The consignment was a mixture of male and female chicks.

The chicks were then raised in one house till they matured. The cocks were then left to freely mingle with the hens for fertilisation.

Proper feeding and cleanliness is key in poultry farming. Herrine sought the services of four people to help her care for the chicks, given that she had other errands.

She feeds her birds on commercial feeds and a mixture of maize jam and egg shells. Greens are also provided in plenty with clean water, which is changed twice every day.

The birds are vaccinated at one day two weeks and one month to protect them from gumboro and Newcastle diseases. Deworming is also done regularly. “At first, we sought the services of veterinary officers. But with research on the Internet and experience, we can now identify infections and administer timely treatment,” says Omenda.

Experience has also taught her how to handle cocks.

“When mature, the cocks fight one another, so we move most of them to another house where they wait for markets. We only leave a few to fertilise the hens.”

A fully grown broiler cock sells for Sh1,000. To reap more from her cocks, Herrine ensures they are sold before they clock one year.

The couple makes a profit of Sh160,000 per month from the poultry business.

“We sell most of the chicken when they are between six and ten months old. We do not keep them past 12 months because they lose their delicious taste. Most customers do not want old chicken,” says Omenda.

With 269 layers currently, Herrine harvests between 159 and 200 eggs daily. Some of the eggs are hatched in her two incubators while the surplus is supplied to hotels and local consumers.

“We do not lack market,” says her husband Odera.

Odera, who studied horticulture in college, says the incubators have a hatching rate of 95 per cent.

The couple’s two incubators have a combined capacity of 2,600 eggs. They get at least 2,500 day-old chicks every month, which they sell at Sh100, with the surplus used to restock the chicken farm. Odera makes the incubators from farm equipment at his small fabrication workshop within the farm.

Ms Omenda says her biggest challenge is invasion by predators. With the farm located near Kameta Swamp, monitor lizards and mongoose cause havoc at night.

“We minimise this by having two of farm assistants living within the farm and keep guard by the chicken coup,” she says.

With unreliable electricity in the area, especially during rainy seasons, Herrine has a standby power generator to ensure the hatcheries run throughout.