Poultry Farming in Kenya: How Crossbreeding is Transforming Small-Scale Chicken Farming

On a sunny morning in Maili Nane, just 7 kilometers west of Eldoret town, cheerful chirps fill the air as hundreds of healthy chicks scurry inside a warm brooder. Their owner, Marion Dome, smiles proudly as she watches over them from her quarter-acre farm.

Marion in her farm

“These chicks are bigger and stronger than normal ones,” she explains. “That’s because they are crossbreeds.”

The Power of Crossbreeding

Marion has mastered the art of selective breeding—combining the best traits of different chicken breeds to produce hardy, high-yielding birds.

“I get different breeds and cross them. For example, I’ve crossbred indigenous cocks with Sasso, KARI Kienyeji, and Bovan Black hens,” she says.

The result? Bigger birds, better layers, and faster growth rates.

Marion keeps over 500 chickens, with about 200 layers producing eggs daily. Her farm setup includes three wooden pens—one for chicks, another for layers, and the third for young growers aged three weeks and above.

“I separate them to avoid cannibalism, prevent disease spread, and reduce inbreeding,” she explains. Every six months, she introduces new cockerels from fellow farmers, ensuring genetic diversity.

Each cock serves about eight hens, and she never uses one for more than a year to maintain strong, disease-resistant offspring.

From Curiosity to Success

“I started this out of curiosity,” Marion recalls. “I crossbred an indigenous cock with a Sasso hen and noticed that the chicks grew much bigger. The farmers who bought them kept coming back for more.”

Today, she sells around 400 chicks every month, all hatched in her own incubator. With over 100 eggs collected daily, her business continues to thrive.

A day-old chick sells for KSh100, while a week-old chick goes for KSh150. Her crossbreeds not only mature faster but also lay eggs more consistently than pure indigenous breeds.

Feeding for Productivity

Marion attributes much of her success to a strict feeding regimen. She produces her own feed using a mill shredder and a 500 kg-capacity mixer, blending maize, cotton and sunflower seeds, and dagaa (omena) for high-protein nutrition.

“I travel to Mbita to get fresh dagaa. My layers consume a 40 kg bag of feed every day,” she says.

Her advice to aspiring poultry farmers?

“Never compromise on feeding quality. Many farmers overfeed calcium, which hardens eggshells and delays hatching.”

Expert Insights: Why Crossbreeding Works

According to Dr. Mary Ambula, an animal scientist at Egerton University, crossbreeding is an effective way to improve chicken performance.

“Indigenous hens typically lay 40–50 g eggs and about 200 eggs per year,” Dr. Ambula explains. “When crossbred, they can lay eggs weighing 50–57 g and produce over 250 eggs annually.”

Crossbreeds also mature faster—starting to lay eggs at just 20 weeks, compared to seven to eight months for indigenous breeds.

However, Dr. Ambula cautions that crossbreeds may be less resistant to common poultry diseases such as Newcastle, Gumboro, and Coccidiosis. They also tend to lose natural brooding instincts, often abandoning nests before completing the 21-day incubation period.

Building a Sustainable Poultry Future

Despite these challenges, crossbreeding remains a game-changer for small-scale farmers like Marion. By combining innovation with good management practices, she has turned her small farm into a profitable and sustainable enterprise.

“I’m proof that with curiosity, consistency, and care, poultry farming in Kenya can be a full-time source of income,” Marion says with a smile, as her chicks chirp in the background.

🐣 Key Takeaways for Aspiring Poultry Farmers in Kenya

• ✅ Crossbreeding boosts growth rates, egg size, and productivity.

• ✅ Separate flocks by age to control diseases and avoid cannibalism.

• ✅ Rotate cocks every six months to maintain strong genetics.

• ✅ Invest in good feed—it directly impacts egg production and chick health.

• ✅ Consult experts to manage disease risks in crossbreeds.

In summary: Poultry farming in Kenya is evolving, and farmers like Marion Dome are leading the change through innovation, selective breeding, and smart management. With the right approach, even a small piece of land can hatch a big success story.