Poultry farming in Kenya

Location of Kenya

Small-scale poultry production in Kenya

Small-scale poultry production at a farm near Gilgil, Kenya

Poultry farming in Kenya is mostly practiced is small scale mostly for domestic consumption. Poultry farming is the raising of domesticated birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food. In the advent of frequent food shortages and fluctuating prices, some farmers have embraced the commercial poultry farming methods. These farmers are classified in the following categories:

• Between 1 – 1000 birds: small scale farmers
• Between 1001 – 10,000 birds: medium scale farmers
• Above 10,000 birds: large scale farmers

The most prevalent poultry farming method in Kenya is chicken farming although a small number of farmers rear other types of birds. There are those farmers who specialize on rearing only chickens for meat (broilers) and others specialize in the chickens for eggs (layers) while others specialize on rearing the Kienyeji type (indigenous chickens where both cocks and hens live together).

Commercial breeds

The Commercial Breeds of chickens that are currently available in Kenya are

1. Broilers
2. Layers
3. Kenbro
4. Sasso
5. Kuroiler

Broilers

Broilers are the chickens reared for meat. In Kenya both individuals and companies engage in broiler farming. Some of the large scale companies that engage in large scale broiler production are Kenchic Limited and Brade Gate Poultry Industries. These companies supply meat companies locally and abroad.

Layers

In Kenya some large scale companies that deal with layers are Kenchic Limited, Muguku Farms, Softkenya Farm Limited and Sigma Supplies.

Kenbro

Kenbro belongs to Kenchick. Kenbro chickens can be reared both for eggs and meat. These chickens are fed for six months before they start laying. Their eggs production is lower than the layers. Those reared for meat also take longer to mature as compared to broilers.

See also

• Agriculture in Kenya

References

• Administrator. "Layers Manual". Retrieved 21 December 2014. 
• "Traditional Poultry in the World". Retrieved 21 December 2014. 
• "Softkenya Farm Limited - Wholesale Supply of chicken eggs in Nairobi Kenya". Softkenya Farm Limited. Retrieved 21 December 2014.