Mueni mints cash from kienyeji chicken

For years, Silvia Mueni, 30, has been keeping a few free range chicken as a part time job. Mueni, a mother of two from Musewani village in Yatta subcounty, Machakos, started keeping between 10 and 12 free-ranging birds in 2019.

“Poultry is a woman’s venture. Men here do not interfere or insist on making decisions about the poultry value chain,” Mueni says.

Before training, she did not consider poultry keeping as a money-making venture.

She therefore did not see any need to vaccinate her chicken, let alone keeping records. In fact, Mueni would shake every time she saw a syringe.

But in May last year, the Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International offered training that opened her eyes.

“The training by Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International was on brooding and how to do poultry as a business venture,” Mueni says.

The foundation exists to realise the vision of an Africa free from hunger, poverty and malnutrition by advancing agricultural technology to improve food security, training and skill transfer and in integrating women and youth.

After training, she has grown her flock to 120 birds. Mueni says during the training, she gained skills and knowledge on an improved form of kienyeji breed that matures within three to four months, depending on the type.

“Improved kienyeji has good meat and matures faster compared to pure kienyeji. This means that it fetches good money,” she says.

Mueni was also trained on how to formulate feed from her farm produce, cutting the cost of buying from shops. “This means that I’m getting good returns from my land. In three weeks, I save Sh4,000.”

Vaccinating her flock kept diseases at bay and significantly improved her returns, Mueni says, adding that poultry diseases can wipe out all the chicken. Her fear of syringes disappeared following a number of experiments during the training sessions with experts.

“I used the brooding knowledge and skills I had acquired from the training and this ensured there was no chick that died.”

After the training, her first stock was 100 chicks. She sold 50 chicks once they were three weeks old and left the remaining ones to mature.

“I made a profit of Sh4,500. I had bought one chick at Sh120.” At five months, the matured chicken was going up for Sh750.

“I can now make Sh12,000 to Sh15,000 profit per month. There are good returns in keeping improved kienyeji,” Mueni says, adding that her earnings have significantly improved.

As they underwent training, they were linked to the market being offered by global organic chicken, removing the need for her to look for a market.

Once chicken mature, the contractors come and weigh them alive before paying the respective farmers.

“During the training, we also got skills and knowledge in record-keeping. Record-keeping helps to keep track of progress and other things such as food, vaccines, expenditures among others,” Mueni says.

Records also dictate the selling price for the chicken. As a result of her passion, Mueni is now a trainer of trainers. “I have one group in every sublocation. A group that has few members is the one with 16 farmers while the highest has 45.”

Within Katangi ward, there are four sublocations. Mueni emphasises that poultry farming has improved the lives of many people and she now sees poultry farming as a great opportunity for young women, as it allows her financial independence.

“The proceeds from the sale of chicken belongs to me. My husband is not bothered with how I utilise them."

As her business grows, she anticipates even higher earnings in the future. Mueni urged farmers to brand themselves and ensure that they do it to the best of their ability.

“If you are a chicken farmer, let people know your venture,” she said, adding that her business has several customers as a result of best practices,” she said.