I ditched engineering for poultry business

After his father, Bifwoli Wakoli, lost Bumula parliamentary seat in 2013, Jeneri Wakoli, the politician’s young son, knew his source of pocket money was gone.

Wakoli had just graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Nairobi but decided to try his luck in poultry farming. With his small savings and five acre donated by his dad, he started Engokho Farm in Khachonge, Bungoma County.

Seven years later the farm is such a success, he does not desire to look for a plum engineering job. Mr Wakoli is one of the large scale day old-chicks and egg producers in the county. He rears at least 15,000 chicken and supplies more than 100,000 eggs on a good month. He says imports from Uganda do not affect his market because his clients trust him.

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Trials and errors

It’s been a journey of ups and downs, he says. In 2013, he started with 100 improved Kienyeji chicken and like for all farmers along the way most of them died because of various diseases.

But he did not despair. He learnt his lessons like importance of hygiene, vaccination and feeding the birds on quality feeds. Along the way, he bought some 500 day old chicks from the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Centre (Kalro) in Kakamega and continued the journey. After two and half months, they were mature enough and he got eggs which he sold to locals.

“A kienyeji improved chicken takes between 5-6 weeks and starts laying eggs. When they mature, they weigh between 4-6kg and a kilo is sold between Sh250–Sh350 when slaughtered,” he explains. The demand for its products is insatiable.

“The demand for Kienyeji chicken meat and eggs increased forcing me to expand my farm. I increased the chicken from 500 to 5,000 to have a constant supply of eggs and chicken for my customers,” says Wakoli.

Business was so good, he invested more of his time and energies. He also went into production of incubators.

The engineer says he used to buy his incubators and cages locally but they were substandard. It is then that he started to put his engineering skills at work.

“The incubators and cages were of low quality. After a short period, they would break down. I started importing the equipments and then modify them using my engineering skills,” said Wakoli.

Wakoli says the poultry equipment he modifies are durable, custom-made for the local environment and affordable.

“Poultry farmers are no longer making losses since I sell to them the equipments I import and modify,” he says.

The reason why he has succeed this far, yet others have failed along the way, is because he chose the right breed — improved Kienyeji.

According to Wakoli, the improved breed of chicken has higher yields compared to the indigenous one. He says meat and eggs from the improved variety have a better market because of the high levels of omega 3 acids which boosts immunity.

“The eggs fetch Sh450 a tray but the hybrid ones fetch Sh300 per tray. Additionally, kienyeji breed produces between 280-320 eggs per hen per year as compared to the indigenous hen which only produces 60 eggs per hen per year,” says Wakoli. Further, they take four months to mature while the local ones mature in 7 to 8 months.

Where it thrives

The breed performs better under semi-intensive system for small scale farmers. The bird is also quite hardy as its tolerant to most bird diseases like infectious bronchitis, foul typhoid and other bacterial diseases.

Best practice is key.

Engokho farm manager, Silas Juma, says as a way of keeping diseases at bay, they use wood shavings where the birds are housed and avoid water spillage. Wetness is perfect breeding ground for bacteria, he says.

Equally important is responsible medicines usage.

“Farmers should use antibiotics only as prescribed by a vet to minimise drug resistance,” says Mr Juma.

Mr Juma says any farmer wants to venture into poultry farming, should rear six birds per square meter for higher yields since overcrowding reduces yields as birds compete for food and water.

Juma says during the early days after a chick has been hatched, they are fed on commercial feeds like chick mash until they are six weeks.