fed chicken

Feeding Indigenous Chicken

Well fed chicken bring you good income

Indigenous chickens are in high demand. Farmers should rear them on commercial basis.

There is a high potential for indigenous chicken production in Kenya. But the main problem is that majority of farmers do not consider rearing indigenous chickens as a serious occupation. They do it to meet their home consumption needs and rarely on commercial basis. This is a missed chance. Looking at the current market prices for indigenous chicken and even eggs, there is a good reason why farmers should rear them in high numbers for the market.

To start with, indigenous chicken and eggs fetch a higher price in the market than hybrid ones. For example, an indigenous chicken egg goes for a retail price of KSh 15 while a hen or cock can fetch as much as KSh 500 especially during the festive season in December, when they are in short supply due to increased demand from consumers. Therefore, a farmer who wants to get a good return must do correct timing to ensure the chicken are ready at around the Christmas period.

Indeed, indigenous chicken are always in demand across the country. It is therefore easy for farmers to identify a market near them to which they can supply on a regular basis when they start production.

Planning is important

To produce chicken in big volumes and with incubators, a farmer must have adequate knowledge of breeding. Without breeding experience and management, it is very difficult to go into commercial production. If the farmer has identified the right breed of chicken to start with, the next stage is to count the number of eggs the chicken can lay, say in one week. With a rough estimate of eggs, a farmer can be able to know the size of incubator to buy.

Feeding indigenous chicken is a challenge

To be successful, farmers have to identify the source of feeds for their chicken. The feed should be the right quantity and quality for breeders, laying hens and even chicks. With some training, farmers can be able to make their own feeds at home without having to buy from the shops. Although production potential of indigenous chicken is lower than that one of hybrid chickens, they are very good in converting feed into meat and eggs – even in areas with very little feed. It is very easy to increase their egg, meat production and growth through proper feeding.

Feed for all stages of growth

The cheapest way to reduce the cost of feeding is to allow the chicken to go on free range, at the same time providing supplementary feeds that will keep them healthy and productive. Like other animals, poultry requires feeds that give them energy, protein as well as vitamins, minerals and water.

Good poultry production involves proper selection of feed for each of breeds we have mentioned above. For instance, feed for chicken meant for egg production is different in composition from feed for chicken used for meat production. In the same way, feed for chicken meant for breeding purposes is quite different from that meant for both egg and meat production. If farmers want to rear improved breeds of indigenous chicken, then they have to provide adequate feed that is suitable at each growing stage.

These are divided into three categories:

A starter diet or chick mash: This is a high protein feed that is given to chicks, from day old up to 8 weeks. Each chick should eat 2 kg in the 8 weeks.

Growers mash: This contains medium protein. It is offered from 9 weeks up to 18 weeks. Each grower consumes about 18 kg during this period.

Layers mash: This is lower in proteins. It is offered to hens from 19 to 75 weeks. Allow 120 g of feed per bird per day. An egg-laying hen consumes about 45 kg of layers’ mash in a year.

Examples of home-made rations;

Ingredients (%)	Chicks	Growers	Layers
Maize	30	25	35
Wheat	20	25
Wheat bran	10	15
Rice bran	10	10	35
Sunflower cake	10	5
Cotton seed cake	5	10
Soya cake			10
Fish meal	2	2	15
Beans	10	5
Bone meal	1	1
Limestone	0.5	0.5	2
Salt	0.5	0.5	0.5
Mineral premix	1	1	1
Ground dried legume leaves			0.5
	100	100	100

Rations for supplementing local chicks;

Ingredient	Quantity
1) Crushed maize/sorghum or millet	1 kg tin
2) Wheat/sorghum or millet bran	1 kg tin
3) Sunflower/ sesame /groundnut cake	2 match boxes
4) Bonemeal / Salt mix	1 matchbox
5) Fishmeal (omena)	2 matchboxes
6) Sesbania/ leucaena leaves	2 matchboxes

Feed at different ages;

Age	Intake (g)
1 week	12-15
2 weeks	15-21
3 weeks	21- 35
4-6 weeks	35-50
7-8 weeks	55-60
16-27 weeks	68-80
28 weeks	100

Courtesy : The magazine for sustainable agriculture in Kenya.

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