A non-governmental organisation has embarked on a programme aimed at promoting the production of poultry in villages in the Kasipul constituency, Homa Bay County.
The project dubbed Empowering Rural Communities through Sustainable Chicken Rearing is being rolled out by the Kind Heart Organization – Kenya and is expected to boost production of poultry and its value chain.
The project Manager, Yusuf Oduor, said they began the program after realising that there was a deficit of chicken and eggs in the Nyanza region.
Oduor said they will construct houses for the farmers with a standard poultry house to carry 500 birds.
He said their organisation was working with three categories of groups to implement the project.
The categories are Kawere East for the persons with disabilities, the Future Seeds Self Help group for youths and Buoye Block Poultry Farmers.
The houses are designed to promote chicken brooding and protection. “We want to increase the rearing of chickens in rural communities,” Oduor said.
Speaking during the launch of the project at Rawinji chief’s camp in Kasipul constituency, the Manager said over 150 farmers from the three groups have been taken through technical training on poultry management.
He said that the skills will ensure a reduction of deaths of the birds.
The training also involved financial literacy skills. Some of the feeds given to farmers are chick mash, layer mash and growers mash.
“The farmers will be provided with quality and nutritious feeds for the period of 12 months which the project will take.” He said.
He said that the organisation has introduced a solar system to be used for brooding.
He noted that solar was environmentally friendly.
Previously the farmers used to burn charcoal for brooding.
Oduor said they will use a digital system for monitoring and evaluation of activities of the project.
“The farmers have been registered with cooperative societies to enable them to market their produce collectively.
He said their partnership with the Homa Bay County government and other organisations will ensure the sustainability of the project.
The manager said the farmers will have a production unit where they will come up with their feed formulation.
“We don’t expect them to encounter a lot of losses due to training they have undergone. Qualified veterinary officers will be assigned to provide medical services to the birds,” he said.
Beneficiaries Zedekiah Ayoo (Buoye Block) and Brian Ochieng (Future Seeds group) expressed gratitude that they will improve chicken rearing with assistance from the organisation.
Ayoo, who started poultry keeping in 2004, said they have been having difficulties accessing quality feeds. He said the cost of feed has been unaffordable.
Ayoo said he formulates his feeds using maize, soya beans and omena.
There are 40 Sasso breeds of chicken in his farm. The breed is for meat and eggs.
“I have had a big challenge in getting feed because it is expensive. Most of the feeds I formulate lack minerals, but with the coming of the Kind Heart organisation, things will be okay,” Ayoo said.
Ochieng, whose group has 280 chickens, said they consider the project as employment. The group has 23 members.
“The group banks on regular vaccination and quality feeds to sustain production. I appeal to youth to venture into the business due to its economic benefits,” Ochieng said.
By Davis Langat
