When Samora Machel Mwamba quit his job in Nairobi five years ago to start poultry farming at his farm in Sagero in Migori, his colleagues and family thought he was not thinking straight.
The information technology graduate from Moi University had stints at Kenya Commercial Bank and the Kenya Bureau of Standards when he started his poultry firm with 400 improved kienyeji chicken.
“I had a passion for poultry farming and when I started the venture I employed several farmhands and managed the farm through the phone which made me realise a lot of losses through deaths and workers stealing from me,” he said.
Not deterred, Mwamba said he went for training on poultry farming at Kenchic. At the training, he learnt from several farmers before he took accumulated eight months leave from work to concentrate on farming.
“I went back with 400 improved kienyeji chicken which gave me enough returns to make me realise I could shift careers. I then started Nyajwar Sana Farm which is a mixed farm of dairy, maize with special effort on poultry,” Mwamba said.
He said when he started, improved kienyeji chicken was gaining popularity in the market but with time each home had a special chicken coop.
While on a tour of the Nairobi Agricultural Society of Kenya show, the farmer saw ornamental poultry and decided to give it a try which he has not regretted since.
“The first ornamental birds I bought for my farm, were two fantail pigeon and jumbo Pekin ducks. Ornamental birds fetch better prices in the market for both birds and eggs compared to normal breeds, require small space to rear and eat the same food like other poultry,” he said.
The jumbo Pekin ducks grow faster as they reach maturity from three-to-six months compared to eight for normal Muscovy ducks but are three times bigger and lay 300-350 eggs annually compared to 90 for local breeds.
“A jumbo Pekin duck costs between Sh4,000 and Sh4,500 per bird compared to Sh500 and Sh1,500 for normal ducks. Their eggs costs Sh250 for each compared to Sh20. So getting a breeding pair is more economic than others,” he said.
With time he added Rouen, Indian Runner and Welsh harlequin ducks to the farm.
“The fantail pigeon spreads its tail like a peacock, breeds faster and can be caged comfortably. While a normal pigeon is sold for Sh150, the exotic pigeons fetch from Sh5,000 to Sh10,000,” Mwamba said. The initial success helped him add more exotic breeds like king pigeons, feral pigeons and short beak pigeons.
The farmer also stocks bantams, a group of exotic pygmy chicken breeds which can lay up 45 eggs before brooding, with the cheapest selling for Sh3,500 which can go to an upward of Sh15,000.
The farm now stocks booted, Polish, American silkie and Pekin bantams, in addition to quails, turkey, several breeds of guinea fowl and normal chicken.
“Ornamental bird farming, like any other poultry venture, requires one to be very observant and look at minor details like the colour of poop, drooping plumage and eating habits to know and catch diseases before they wipe out the whole stock,” he said.
He said before starting ornamental poultry farming, farmers should build special space for each breed to avoid cross-breeding as pure breeds cost more.
“Because they lay more eggs, I use an incubator or normal kienyeji chicken to hatch ornamental birds and use brooders to increase stock. A bantam can lay 50 eggs before brooding, for that time I would have hatched first egg by the time they want to go brooding,” he said.
He said in poultry farming, 70 per cent of costs go to feeding with the remainder catering for medicine and daily management, which makes improvising local feed to be the most effective way to make a profit.
“I plant yellow maize and soybeans which supplement for carbohydrates and proteins respectively, other supplements I get from agrovet and I also buy freshwater shrimps for calcium to make growers and layers mash,” he said.
“The best way to get mature birds with the right weight is insisting on what they feed on, this is the only way to ensure they mature fast and are healthy,” he said.
