The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)has unveiled a high yielding, fast maturing, easy to maintain and disease resistant indigenous chicken variety that has the ability to lay 220-280 eggs in a year, double the yield capacity of ordinary indigenous chicken.
High yielding and less production costs
Dubbed the ‘improved KALRO indigenous chicken’, the breed start laying eggs only five months after being hatched and produces an average meat weight of 1.5kg. A cock, at five months, weighs 2kg, almost the weight of a three-year old local cockerel, which weighs between 2.5-2.8kg.
This new free range breed in the market requires no special care and can be feed just like other indigenous chicken, hence low cost of production. The chicken has the capacity to withstand any climatic condition and is resistant to common chicken diseases like new castle.
According to Dr. David Miano of KALRO’s Non-Ruminant Research Center, this superior breed has a quiet temperament, excellent feathering and is able to adapt fast to the conditions under which it is kept compared to other breeds. ‘’ unlike other indigenous chicken which produces 100-180 eggs in a year, improved KALRO indigenous chicken lay up to 280 high value eggs,’’ said Dr. Miano.
The production ability of this chicken breed gently slow down as it ages with an estimated egg fall of 10-15 per year after 5 years compared to a sharp decrease in other breeds.
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This breed enters the Kenya market at the time the country is witnessing high market prices for indigenous chicken product. Currently, an egg from indigenous chicken retails for Sh25-30 compared to those from hybrid layers which retails for Sh12-15. The statistics from the National Farmers Information System further shows that a 3kg indigenous chicken retails for Sh600-800 with the price likely to be higher in major cities like Nairobi and Mombasa.
KALRO’s Non-Ruminant Research Centres in Kakamega and Naivasha are selling day old chicks at Sh100 while a tray of 30 fertile eggs go for Sh1000. Breeding cocks are sold at sh1200. Interested farmers are asked to place their orders on the agency’s social media sites or by calling Naivasha or Kakamega office and pay 25 per cent upfront fee to show commitment via M-Pesa pay bill number 597638.