Hatching Kienyeji Chicks: Why It’s More Profitable Than Selling Eggs

In a quiet corner of Kapchekoro Village, Bomet County, the sound of clucking hens and crowing cocks fills the air. This is the home of Richard Rono, a successful poultry farmer who has discovered a smarter way to make money from his Kienyeji chickens—by hatching and selling chicks instead of eggs.

While many farmers focus on egg or meat production, Rono chose a different path—and it’s paying off.

“I started with exotic chicken for eggs, but the market was saturated. I switched to Kienyeji birds and began hatching chicks because there was less competition,” says Rono, who built a semi-permanent poultry house worth KSh150,000.

🏠 Inside Rono’s Poultry Setup

Rono keeps an average of 100 hens and 15 cocks, maintaining a healthy ratio of one cock for every seven hens. His flock produces enough eggs to fill his two incubators—a 360-egg manual incubator he bought for KSh50,000 and a 480-egg automatic incubator purchased for KSh140,000.

Every month, Rono hatches up to 450 chicks, earning approximately KSh20,000 in net profit after deducting feed costs.

“It takes about 10 days to collect enough eggs for the two incubators. Once the hatching starts, I sell surplus eggs at KSh20 each,” he explains.

🔥 Brooding and Chick Care

After 21 days, the chicks hatch and are transferred to a brooding pen heated by a charcoal brooder — an essential setup that costs Rono about KSh3,000 per month.

“The chicks must stay warm, especially at night. I use a charcoal burner that runs continuously,” he says.

The chicks are fed commercial chick mash (KSh2,500–3,000 per 50 kg bag), given clean water, and vaccinated against Gumboro, Newcastle Disease, and Fowl Typhoid.

Vaccination, Rono emphasizes, is non-negotiable.

“If you skip vaccines, you risk losing most of your chicks,” he warns.

💰 Smart Income Streams

Apart from selling his own chicks, Rono also offers incubation services to other farmers at just KSh1 per egg per day, earning an extra KSh10,000 monthly.

After about a month, he sells his Kienyeji chicks at KSh120–180 each to farmers from Bomet, Keroka, and Kericho. He advises beginners to buy chicks that are at least a month old for easier management.

Chicks that aren’t sold within the first month are moved to a larger pen and fed a mix of commercial feeds, wheat, sorghum, fresh grass, and vegetables.

At two months, each bird fetches KSh250, and by three months, KSh350.

🌿 Why Kienyeji Chicken Farming Makes Sense

According to Evans Kiplagat, Bomet Central Livestock Production Officer, indigenous Kienyeji breeds are ideal for small-scale farmers because they are

• Hardy and disease-resistant, reducing the cost of treatment.

• Highly adaptable to different environments.

• Less dependent on commercial feeds, which lowers production costs.

• Preferred by consumers for their rich flavor and natural taste.

“An egg that sells for KSh15 or KSh20 can hatch into a chick worth KSh150 in just 21 days. That’s far more profitable than selling eggs,” Kiplagat advises.

🐥 Final Thoughts

Rono’s story shows that diversifying into chick hatching is one of the smartest moves a poultry farmer can make. With proper management, vaccination, and record-keeping, hatching Kienyeji chicks can easily outperform traditional egg-selling ventures.

If you’re in poultry farming and looking to boost your income, perhaps it’s time to start hatching—not just collecting eggs.