This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
Malindi, Kilifi County - Agnes Kandoya's poultry farm in Sabaki on the outskirts of Malindi is a haven for ducks and guinea fowls. The farm, which started in 2017, has seen Agnes transition from Kienyeji chickens to the current birds.
On a visit to the farm, one can hear the sound of ducks squawking and the sight of helmeted guinea fowls in a structure made of wood and wire mesh. Agnes, a mother of six, leads us into a 40 by 30 feet structure where she keeps the ducks.
According to Agnes, her journey into poultry keeping started with Kienyeji chickens that she was keeping for meat. She started with 20 three months old chicks and raised her flock to 200 chickens. However, diseases like coccidiosis and New Castle affected her birds, prompting her to switch to keeping ducks and guinea fowls in early 2018.
Agnes now keeps mainly Pekin ducks and guinea fowls for meat. She started the business by buying five fertilised duck eggs at a cost of Sh30 each from a neighbour. The ducklings turned out to be three female and a male, and the duck population has since increased to 30, with each duck selling at Sh1,000.
Agnes used a similar practice to end up with a brood of guinea fowls. She currently keeps 30 guinea fowls and has bettered her brood by exchanging some birds with other farmers to curb inbreeding. She sells the guinea fowls at Sh3,500 each.
Dr Jumaa Muthoka, a private veterinarian in Kilifi, recommends enhancement of biosecurity measures on the farm to prevent diseases. He also suggests buying fertilised eggs, identifying a broody chicken, and letting it hatch them and foster the chicks as the easiest way to start a small poultry farm.
