How long does a Kienyeji chicken take to mature? Learn the best practices

What do you think is a kienyeji chicken? It is a breed of chicken indigenous to East Africa, particularly in Kenya. This breed is also referred to as village chicken or free-range chicken. They are well known for their tender meat and distinctive taste. So, how are kienyeji chicken reared, and what are the best practices?

Kienyeji chicken farming is practised mainly by small-scale farmers in rural areas. However, with the growing demand for kienyeji chicken meat, it is becoming popular even in urban areas. The local chicken meat is a rich source of protein and iron, which helps in the formation of red blood cells.

How to rear kienyeji chicken for eggs

Rearing kienyeji chicken for eggs requires proper management practices, from building houses to ensuring proper sanitation. To improve egg production, below are the correct techniques you can apply.

Build a kienyeji chicken house

There are several designs you can choose for your kienyeji chicken house. When settling for a house design, ensure that it is spacious enough to accommodate all your birds. The basic rule for determining how big the chicken house will is allowing each bird a space of two square feet.

For instance, if you want to keep 225 kienyeji chicken, you will need a house with an area of 450 square feet or a house 30 feet by 15 feet. Note that, when the house is too small, the birds can overcrowded and vices such cannibalism may creep in.

Partition the house

After constructing the house, you can divide it into six compartments measuring 20ft by 10ft. Then, build a chicken run for each of the six compartments. This can be done using bricks, mud, iron sheets, full suit, or timber.

Breeding

Avail your first consignment of 200 chicks and brood them in the first compartment. Remember to introduce one cockerel for every 8 birds or preferably one for every 10. After attaining maturity in 3 months, free them to enjoy the chicken run.

What are the types of kienyeji chicken house designs in Kenya?

There are 3 main types of kienyeji chicken housing designs. They include:

1. Floor house design

This slated-floor poultry house features wired or wooden slatted floors instead of deep litter. The slats are placed a few feet above the floor to allow droppings to accumulate, increasing sanitation.

2. Cage housing system

This housing design involves rearing your poultry on raised small compartments and wire cages. Some of the various cage housing designs include:

• Chicken house based on the arrangement of cages
• Kienyeji chicken house designs based on the number of chicken in a cage
• Kienyeji chicken house designs based on the number of rows

3. Deep litter kienyeji chicken house plan

This design is the most common house plan, as the chicken are simply reared on a concrete floor covered with litter. The feeding and drinking troughs are placed in convenient places.

How to build simple kienyeji chicken house designs

When building a functional chicken house, it is recommended to consider the bird’s safety, comfort and productivity. Below is a step-by-step approach to building simple kienyeji chicken house designs.

Setting up posts

Step one: Firstly, set four 4×4 upright concrete posts in a rectangular shape depending on the size of the house you want to build. The length of the house should be twice its width. Remember, the posts on the front side of the house should be 8 feet tall and the back ones 6 feet tall to allow the installation of a pitched roof over the walled part of the cage.

Step two: Then, install a 4×4 post 2 feet from the right front corner of the structure. This pole should be 8 feet tall and is meant to support a gateway that will serve as a door to the run. Attach a 2×4 post in a horizontal position between the posts mentioned above on the right front corner of the open-air space at a height of 6 feet.

Step three: Afterwards, add parallel 4×4 posts about 30 per cent of the distance from the left side of the rectangular frame. For instance, if the chicken house is 15 feet wide, the posts should be about 5 feet on the left-side corner posts.

Step four: Finally, attach horizontal 2×4 posts to the tops of all the poles along the front and back sides of the rectangle. Add three more at an angle between the pairs of front and rear posts. Then, attach horizontal 2×4 posts to the four left-side posts, 24 inches above the ground, to support the walled portion’s floor.

Setting a gate frame

Create a gate frame for the entrance, a 2×6 foot rectangle using 2×2 planks. Then, secure the gate frame to the right corner post with galvanised gate hinges.

Installing floorboards

Install floorboards atop the 2×4 frame across the front two-thirds of the rectangle, securing them with galvanised nails or decking screws.

Secure the house

Secure a third of the floor with chicken wire. Birds perch above this part of the floor, and the hardware cloth allows droppings to fall through for collection below. You can also dig a 12-inch trench around the edge of the run and bury a quarter inch of hardware cloth in it to keep off digging predators. Then, cover all sides of the open-air run with chicken wire to keep predators out.

How profitable is kienyeji poultry farming in Kenya?

According to Agcenture, kienyeji chicken farming can generate an income of Ksh. 258, 390. The total cost of expenditures, excluding the capital, is Ksh. 165, 790. This will result to a gross profit of Ksh. 92, 600.

What is the cost of rearing 100 kienyeji chicken in Kenya?

The cost of rearing 100 kienyeji birds in Kenya revolves around the cost of the chick, their feeds, vaccination, housing and many more. According to Agcenture, rearing 100 kienyeji chicken in Kenya will cost approximately Ksh.165,790. It is important to budget first to avoid any inconveniences.

What is the improved kienyeji chicken?

Improved Kienyeji are an indigenous breed obtained from natural cross-breeding between two superior breeds of kienyeji chicken or a Kienyeji chicken and an exotic breed.

Wrapping up

Kienyeji chicken farming is among the most lucrative businesses in Kenya. This breed of chicken has a rising demand in restaurants countrywide. Remember to apply the best practices when rearing your chicks to ensure they reach the maturity stage in good time.