Mary Muhatia, a Kakamega native, sells Kienyeji chicken to a well-known Golf hotel, and she has bought a dairy cow and a plot of land with the earnings from the chicken.
Muhatia started with 12 hens and now has over 10,000 birds that she feeds to the Kakamega Golf Hotel every week, earning her between Sh60,000 and Sh90,000.
She makes an average of Sh200,000 every season from egg sales and Sh350,000 from enhanced Kienyeji chicken sales at weddings, funerals, religious events, and within Kakamega town hotels.
“When my husband died 12 years ago, I was left to care for my four children alone. Working as a housekeeper and selling illegal beers were among the strange occupations I went on. I used to work on surrounding farms on the side to help support my children,” Mary explained.
“However, when I learned about KAPP’s indigenous chicken management training, I joined a group of farmers who were interested in creating a business using indigenous hens.”
She benefited from her relationships with local stakeholders including the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). She borrowed Sh50, 000 after obtaining credit management training from the bank.
She utilized the money to buy 500 enhanced indigenous chickens for Sh100 each from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Naivasha. She also purchased feeders, drinks, and supplies for her chicken coop.
Her first batch of chicks arrived six months later. This happened immediately after the service provider company joined her group to the Kakamega Golf Hotel. Every week, the hotel needed 200 birds, of which she could give a fraction.
The organization then introduced her to the concept of relay stocking, and she was given a new loan of Sh100,000 to improve her chicken coop. She separated it into six portions, which she delivered at monthly intervals to meet the volume demands of the local market.
Mary has been able to convert her business into full-time employment thanks to her method. Her flock currently numbers 10,000 birds. Apiece week, she sells 100 to 150 birds to the Golf Hotel for Sh600 each. She also sells eggs. This implies she makes between Sh60, 000 and Sh90,000 in gross revenues every week.
She also bought a half-acre plot of land and a dairy cow that gives her milk, which she sells at the local market. She has turned her profits into a dairy, piggery, and goat-raising business. She does, however, continue to breed indigenous birds, which has enabled her to adequately educate her children while also providing for her family.
Read more: https://www.farmbizafrica.com/index.php/hopemenu4/229-kenyan-farmers-news-service-moves-pan-african
