Brown egg layers in a lawn. Nyeri County farmer Nixon Muchiri is getting mover than 250 eggs per year from brown layers dual purpose chicken. PHOTO BY WHITEHURST HERITAGE FARMS.
Poultry farmers can get up to 50 more eggs from a new dual breed chicken whose yield matches pure layers.
Nyeri County farmer Nixon Muchiri gets between 2,600 and 2,800 eggs per month from the 3,000 Brown layers hybrid chicken.
The farmer says each of the Brown layer hens lays between 250 and 300 eggs per year, if they are not sold for meat.
The Golden Comet is one of the most distinct layers pure breed giving up to 280 eggs per year.
Dual purpose chickens such as Sussex, and the Rhode island red give between 200 and 250 eggs per year.
“Unlike pure breeds for meat or eggs, the Brown layer is superior because it gives enough eggs that can help in maintaining its body in feeds until slaughter time. If there is no ready market for meat, it continues laying eggs just like other pure breeds,” he said.
The Brown layers mature and start laying eggs after four months. Even after laying, their weight does not depreciate much. They can weigh between two kilo and two and half kilos.
Food conversion rate is good, and with about 120gm per day, the hens are highly productive.
Muchiri sells fertilised eggs for hatching at Sh30 while non feetilised ones- for food- fetch Sh15 each.
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He has also advanced the business into a hatchery called Boston Chicken Centre in Karatina.
Muchiri sells one month old chicks at between Sh250 and Sh300, depending on the number one is purchasing.
The Brown layer is a cross breed of a local and an exotic breed.
The productivity of chickens however, depends on other factors such as age, health, diet, among others. Layers need at least 20 grammes of proteins every day to give optimum eggs output.
On the second year, chickens laying drops by about 15 per cent and the deterioration will continue.
He can be reached on +254722477575