This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
Titus Kiptoo, a 26-year-old wildlife management graduate, turned his hobby of keeping ornamental birds into a profitable business. He started with two female turkeys he bought for Sh3,000 each and borrowed a male from a friend.
According to Kiptoo, he developed an interest in turkeys after visiting a friend in Elgon View estate, Eldoret, where she kept them as a hobby. He later bought four keets from his cousin's neighbour in Nairobi and gave them to one of his turkeys that had just hatched.
Today, Kiptoo and his younger brother Mark have 20 female turkeys, three toms, four adult guinea fowls, and 34 keets. They sell day-old poults for Sh300 each and adult turkeys for Sh3,000 to Sh4,500, depending on the sex, breed, and size.
Despite the high cost of feeds, Kiptoo and his brother prepare and mix their own feeds using maize germ, wheat bran, and fish meal. They also allow the birds to roam freely during the day.
However, Kiptoo faces challenges such as predation by stray dogs, which he says is a real menace. He advises anyone intending to keep ornamental birds to be patient and to ensure they have adequate feeds and clean water for the birds.
According to Dennis Kigiri, an animal expert at Egerton University, Njoro, turkey farming requires adequate feeds and clean water for the birds. He advises that grains given to the birds should be at least 70 per cent maize from the time the turkeys are 20 weeks old.
