As many Kenyans face hard economic times due to Covid-19, some have decided to venture into other businesses to earn a living.
Berlin Ajeck from Webuye town in Bungoma county decided to venture into poultry farming to sustain his family after he had been laid off by his employer.
Ajeck started rearing poultry in 2020 after visiting Deputy President William Ruto’s residence in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu county.
He told KNA that after seeing the poultry project at the DP Ruto’s home, he was challenged to start the same project at his Webuye residence.
He bought 3,000 layers from Ruto and thereafter, another 10,000 ISA Brown eight weeks old chicks from Kenchic.
“I was challenged by the Deputy President’s poultry mega project from which he mints a huge amount of money,” he said.
“After thorough consultations with the farm management, I decided to buy 3,000 Indbro Brown layers to start with,” he said, adding the chickens were already laying eggs.
Ajeck said that the Indbro Brown layers are very hardy and reliable. They are capable of producing up to 300 eggs in their laying cycle under difficult rural rearing conditions and with low-cost feeding requirements.
“In other words, they are like the ordinary kienyeji hens that we rear in the rural areas with the exception that they produce a very high number of eggs,” he notes.
On a good day, Ajeck said that he collects and sells 100 trays of eggs from his poultry farm and that during peak hours, he sells a tray at Sh330.
“Indbro Brown layers are very reliable and produce many eggs provided they are fed well, and the returns enable me to pay my workers and run other farm activities,” he noted.
He said that the chicken coop should be supplied with the right amount of light that enables chicken handlers to inspect their flock thoroughly for possible ailments or diseases that could spread.
It also helps them clean buildings completely to prevent the infestation of diseases.
He also said that chicken droppings are used as manure in farms as it is environmentally friendly.
Ajeck said that he is planning to buy a processing machine to start manufacturing improved manure that would serve small scale farmers.
“At this time, the droppings are taken for free by my neighbours but soon, when I acquire a processing machine, it will help me process manure and add some nutrients,” he said.
Apart from enjoying profits, there are challenges that Ajeck encounters, like varying egg prices, buying expensive foods (startup mash, growers mash, chick mash and layers mash) and sometimes birds are attacked by diseases.
Ajeck has employed eight workers and he is able to pay them well from the money he gets from selling eggs.