Farming
In the quiet village of Aroso in Suna East, Migori County, the sound of clucking chickens is a testament to the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of a young man who turned adversity into opportunity. Tony Kisasati, a 28-year-old man’s tertiary academic journey began at Kabete National Polytechnic, where he pursued a diploma in Quantity Surveying.
Graduating in 2019, he had high hopes for a promising career in the construction industry. He managed to secure his first-ever paying job at the British American Tobacco Company where he worked in the Warehousing Management Department.
From this job, he was able to cater for his family’s needs. His dreams, however, were shattered when he lost his job at the Company in “unclear circumstances.” The unexpected job loss was a heavy blow, leaving him without a source of income to support his family.
Tony Kisasati’s chickens feeding on greens supplements from his rented farm
Faced with the harsh reality of unemployment and the high cost of living, he decided to think quickly and creatively about alternative means of earning a living to shoulder his family’s expenses. Speaking while feeding his chickens at his home in Aroso, Kisasati revealed the motivation behind his decision to venture into chicken farming.
“I chose chicken farming because it required little capital,” Tony explained. “With just Sh. 3,000, I could start something that would help me provide for my family.” After researching various income-generating activities, he decided to venture into chicken farming. The choice was driven by the relatively high demand for chickens in Migori in comparison to other poultry.
With Sh. 3,000 from his little savings, he started his farm with 10 Kencross breed chicks, each purchased for Sh. 100 from a local farmer. He used the remaining Sh.2000 to build a well-ventilated coop. He decided to focus mainly on rearing broiler chickens which mature after three or four months instead of layers whose maturity and production take a longer time.
He also chose rearing chicken for meat as he is yet to establish a hatchery for chicks and therefore was easier to manage, enabling him to make faster profit before he brings in another stock of chicks. To manage his business, he ensures that the chicken house is well-ventilated and meticulously cleaned, changing the sawdust regularly, washing the chicken feeders, and warming the coop during cold seasons as directed by his veterinarian.
“Keeping the chicken house clean and well-ventilated is crucial,” said Tony. “It helps prevent diseases and keeps the chickens healthy.” Though he maintained the cleanliness of his coop, his chicks still became victims of diseases such as stress in chicks and reduced appetite which slowed down their growth and resulting in some deaths.
He decided to seek the guidance of Robert Bramwel, a local veterinarian in Migori town who recommended he buys medicines from the agro vet to boost their immunity, increase appetite and aid in digestion. ”Chicken formula and Liquid Paraffin are one of the solutions for chicks to grow healthy and therefore reducing their mortality rates,” Bramwell explained.
Another challenge Kisasati faced in the earlier stages of his business was the cold weather conditions at night, especially during the rainy seasons. This resulted in the loss of four of his chicks which was a heavy blow to his business.
However, he did not give up on his business. He decided to, once again, seek professional assistance from the veterinarian. With his help, he was able to manage the situation after he was advised to install a bulb in the coop to help in the regulation of temperature by a dimmer switch which ensured the survival of the remaining chicks during the cold seasons.
Tony Kisasati feeding his chickens at his chicken farm in Aroso, Migori.
His persistence however paid back when he sold the six remaining chickens after four months for Sh. 1,100 each to a customer in Aroso. This amounted to his first-ever profit of Sh. 3,600 after deducting the capital. He reinvested the profits and some of his savings to purchase a stock of 50 more chicks.
Two years into the business, one of his first significant successes came when he sold 50 chickens for Sh.54,600 to a local customer in Migori with a cock selling at Sh. 800 and a hen at Sh.1200. This success allowed him to supplement his chicken farming with crop farming. Through the profit incurred from chicken farming, he rented out three acres of land.
He thus decided to innovate his feeds using a mix of sunflower seeds, sardines and maize from his rented three-acre farm. He also supplements the chickens’ feed with greens from his farm hence a homemade solution that has proven to be both economical and effective, contributing to the healthy growth of his chickens.
The maize crops provided an extra food source for his chickens, further reducing his feed costs. Furthermore, he could cut back the capital required for buying feeds thereby enhancing his overall profitability. Kisati has ambitious plans for his chicken business. He aims to scale up his operations, reinvesting the profits to increase the size of his flock and enhance his farming infrastructure. His goal is to become a leading chicken farmer in the region, providing high-quality chickens to a broader market.
“I want to expand and become one of the leading poultry farmers in Migori,” Kisati said confidently. “The profits from my business will help me achieve that goal.”