Poultry farmers in four wards within Nakuru are set to receive 6,525 dual-purpose improved breeds of chicks that guarantee low cost of maintenance and higher earnings.
This comes against a background of increased cost of production for broiler and layer varieties due to various challenges bedevilling the subsector, including disease susceptibility and high mortality rates of the birds, costly infrastructure needed for the venture and the prohibitive cost of feed.
Through the Kenya Livestock Commercialisation Project (KeLCoP), the farmers from Maai Mahiu, Gilgil, Solai, and Soin wards will further benefit from a donation of 372 pullets (hens less than one year old) and 124 cockerels in an initiative aimed at enhancing livestock commercialisation and improving livelihoods in rural households in Kenya.
According to County Livestock, Fisheries, and Veterinary Services Chief Officer, Dr Michael Cheruiyot, the one-day-old dual-purpose chicks raised for both meat and eggs were known for their hardiness, faster growth and higher egg and meat production compared to traditional indigenous breeds.
