Kienyeji chicken hatched my multi-million shillings poultry business

Dr Tony Kiragu in his hatchery in Naivasha where he keeps and sells Improved Kienyeji chicks. He saw a business opportunity and went for it, setting his 8-acre hatchery not far from Kalro, Naivasha, where the chicken is bred. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kiragu saw a business opportunity and went for it, setting his 8-acre hatchery in 2016 not far from the Kalro, Naivasha centre, where the chicken is bred.
  • Besides, the improved variety’s cockerel weighs about 3kg at 4-5 months while the indigenous ones about 1.5kg at that age.
  • The chicks are removed and are ready for sale after vaccination against Marek’s disease, Newcastle and Infectious Bronchitis.
  • Hygiene and proper aeration are key in the business, Kaba says, adding that experts should also advise on vaccination and general care to minimise any chances of losses.

Dressed in a yellow dust coat and white gumboots, Dr Tony Kiragu meets us at the entrance of Nature Kuku Farm in Naivasha.

Kiragu, who is the farm’s director had minutes earlier been supervising the vaccination of day-old chicks before they are dispatched to various clients.

“It has been a busy week for us as some farmers are ordering chicks in preparation for Christmas season,” he says. Kiragu notes they sell about 5,000-7,000 Improved Kienyeji chicks weekly to clients mainly from Meru, Kitale and Central region.

That the business is flourishing is not a secret for the 37-year-old veterinary medicine graduate of University of Nairobi, who relocated from the US after a seven-year sojourn, returning home to start the poultry breeding business.

“I won a Green Card in 2008 and was excited to have a taste of what it feels to live in a developed country.”

His stay in the US turned out to be a learning experience as he accumulated knowledge that he is now putting into use.

“In the US, I worked as a veterinary assistant and then as a veterinary officer, dealing with domestic animals mainly dogs and cats,” he says, noting his passion for poultry made him look for a part-time job at a chicken farm.

When he choose to return home in 2015, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) had released the Improved Kienyeji chicken, which had become popular.

Kiragu saw a business opportunity and went for it, setting his 8-acre hatchery in 2016 not far from the Kalro, Naivasha centre, where the chicken is bred.

Compared to the pure indigenous chicken, the improved breed produces between 220-280 eggs while the others an average of 150 eggs.

Besides, the improved variety’s cockerel weighs about 3kg at 4-5 months while the indigenous ones about 1.5kg at that age.

COLLECTED THEN GRADED

“I started the project with a close friend. My initial investment was Sh15 million, which went into buying land, importing machineries that include setters and hatchers and construction of the production structures, among others,” he offers, noting he now has 10 employees.

Initially, he would buy eggs from farmers who reared the Kalro indigenous poultry for egg production.

“The problem with buying such eggs is that some of them are of low quality because of inbreeding common among farmers leading to poor quality production with a risk of slow growth in chicks and low output for layers.”

However, he now has a total of 3,700 parent stock, 3,000 at a farm in Nyahururu and 700 at the Naivasha farm.

The production process starts at the parents’ house, where eggs are collected and graded based on the sizes. “We pick out those with double yolks which are too big, or those that are too small and sell them for consumption at between Sh15 and Sh18.”

The rest are taken to the receiving room adjacent to the hatchery where they are further graded, removing any deformed or cracked ones.

They are then fumigated using potassium permanganate and formalin before being put in the setters, where the temperature is maintained at 99.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Relative humidity is set at 55 per cent while the eggs automatically tilt at 45 degrees every hour to ensure even heat distribution,” says Kiragu.

Besides, the setters have a fan which keeps moisture and temperature well-distributed.

HYGENE IS KEY

The eggs will remain there for 18 days before being moved to the hatcher where they stay for three days and hatch.

The chicks are removed and are ready for sale after vaccination against Marek’s disease, Newcastle and Infectious Bronchitis.

“Our day-old chicks go for Sh100. However, customers can make arrangements to have their chicks brooded for two weeks or a month and pay Sh200 and Sh250 respectively.”

Besides chicks’ production, Kiragu also trains poultry farmers on good practices such constructing structures, feeding, vaccination and biosecurity.

“The poultry industry in Kenya will only take off if good policies that address issues such as high cost of feeds, hatchery operations and market stability are put in place.”

Dr Githui Kaba, a veterinary doctor at the County Government of Nakuru, says demand for chicks outstrips supply as farmers have to wait for up to three months to get their orders from hatcheries.

“This calls for the setting up of more hatcheries but anyone who wants to get into such business should work closely with experts.”

Hygiene and proper aeration are key in the business, Kaba says, adding that experts should also advise on vaccination and general care to minimise any chances of losses.