Giving vaccines has cushioned us against losses

Bukhungu tree oil palm self-help group Chairman Asumo Alubero and Kakamega county Chief officer for livestock and fisheries Kelly Nelima attend to chicken at Matende in Kakamega town on August 28,2019. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

After saving Sh80,000 for three years, 14 members of Bukhungu Tree Oil Palm Self Help Group, who are retired civil servants, decided to venture into poultry farming.

Group chairman, Asumo Olubero, 65, a retired teacher, said they also submitted a proposal to the County Government of Kakamega seeking financial assistance.

“In December last year, we were given 500 day-old chicks by the county government. The main requirement was to have our members trained in poultry keeping and have at least Sh30,000 in the account for buying feeds,” said Mr Olubero.

When the chicks were seven days old, they vaccinated them against Newcastle disease and on day 14, they administered the gumboro vaccine. 

They repeated gumboro vaccine at day 24 and on day 28, they administered Newcastle vaccine again.

Olubero said vaccination played a big role in ensuring most of the chicks survived.

At six weeks, the chicks were vaccinated against fowl pox disease and at week 8, they administered fowl typhoid vaccine.

“We fed the chicks for eight weeks on chick mash and changed to growers’ mash at twelve weeks and when they were about to start laying eggs, we got a customer who bought 460 birds at Sh600 each totaling to Sh276,000. The remaining 40 birds we kept them as parent stock,” he added.

Olubero said they restocked again but this time round, they bought 500 day-old rainbow rooster breed from a farmer in Eldoret at Sh100 each.

The group now has over 3,000 birds. 

“We have made good profits from chicken keeping, in October each member will be given 200 day-old chicks to rear in their own farms using the lessons so far acquired from this farm,” said Olubero.

The group’s next goal is to start making their own feeds for the birds.

Andidi Christian Women Group, has also ventured into poultry farming with the help of Kakamega county government. The group started with 400 chicks.

“We got wind of the programme by the county government and since we had plans in place, we wrote a proposal, it was accepted and so far so good. We have sold over 1,200 birds now and we hope to expand our farm,” said Rosemary Mbalasi, a member.

She said the profit is split among members, which has largely improved their lives.

Mbalasi said the only challenge their biggest challenge is frequent disease outbreaks.

Kelly Nelima, Kakamega County chief officer for Livestock and Fisheries Development, said they have set aside Sh10 million to support the programme aimed at increasing poultry productivity in the county.

Dr Nelima said they have already given out free day-old chicks to 63 self-help groups across the county and by December this year, they are targeting to cover 120 groups.

“We took two self-help groups in each of the 60 wards in the county that have undergone training in poultry farming and have at least Sh30,000 in their account for buying feeds. The end game is to produce enough birds to meet forces of demand and supply,” said Nelima.

Nelima, a veterinary, said by 2022 the county will have erected a poultry slaughterhouse in which the birds will be sold, packaged and exported.

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