Production Cycle: Layer Chicken
Layer chickens are kept for eggs. Every layer starts to lay after 5-6 months and lay for about 12 months.
When you manage the farm well, you can have 1 layer of chicken production cycles every 18 months. Each layer can give you up to 280 eggs.
After every layer production cycle, take a 14 day break before you bring in new chicks.
This gives you time to clean and disinfect the chicken housing before you start the next cycle.
Step 1: Day 1
Buy healthy Day Old Chicks from a good source.
Step 2: Month 0-2
- Provide a clean brooding area to keep the chicks for the first 3 weeks.
- Provide a source of heat, water and food.
- Feed the chicks on chick Starter Mash.
- For the first 2 weeks, give plenty of feed but little by little.
- Randomly weigh.
Step 3: 3-4 Months
- Introduce Grower Mash to the birds.
- Open the curtains on both open sides from the top down when it is warm.
- Repeat debeaking if necessary.
- Vaccinate as scheduled.
- Provide 12 hours of light a day.
- Cull/remove from the flock the underdeveloped and sick birds as early as possible.
Step 4: 5-18 Months
- At this stage feed the birds on Layer Mash.
- Provide 1 laying nest for 4-5 birds.
- Use clean wood shavings in the laying nest.
- Ensure free flow of fresh air in the layer house.
- Collect eggs 3-4 times daily.
- Provide light for 12 hours a day and increase by 15-30 minutes every week until 16 hours of
light is reached. - Spray the chicken house often to stop external parasites like ticks, mites, and lice.
Production Cycle: Broiler Chicken
- Broiler chicken are kept for meat. Every broiler cycle takes 35-40 days.
- When the farm is well managed, you can have 7-8 broiler production cycles per year.
- After every production cycle, take a 14-day break before you bring in new chicks.
- This gives you time to clean and disinfect the chicken housing before you start the next cycle.
Step 1: Day 1
Buy Day Old Chicks from good and reliable sources.
Step 2: Day 1-10
- Keep the chicks in a brooder for the first 2-3 weeks.
- Provide a source of heat (infrared bulb, jiko).
- Provide clean fresh drinking water every day.
- Feed them on Starter Mash in the first 10 days.
- Vaccinate according to the schedule.
- Weigh birds randomly to see if they are gaining weight as required.
Step 3: Day 10-20
- Change feeds from Starter Mash to Grower Mash slowly.
- Continue to feed them on Growers Mash up to day 30.
- Always provide clean fresh drinking water every day.
- Vaccinate according to schedule.
- Keep the chicken house clean at all times.
Step 4: Day 30-35
- Change feeds from Grower Mash to Finisher Mash slowly.
- Always provide clean fresh drinking water every day.
- Keep the house clean at all times.
Step 5: Day 35-40
- At this stage, the Broilers have reached the market weight.
- Continue to Finisher Mash up to when you sell them.
- When you have a ready buyer, take them to the market.
Note: When changing the type of feeds, do it slowly. Start by mixing a small amount of the new feeds with the old one and increase daily.
After selling all the Broilers, wait for 2-3 weeks then begin a new cycle.
Production Cycle: Improved Kienyeji Chicken
- In this case, Improved Kienyeji Chickens are kept for meat. Every Improved Kienyeji Chicken cycle takes 90 days to mature and be ready for sale.
- When you manage the farm well, you can have 4 Improved Kienyeji Chicken production
cycles per year. - After every Improved Kienyeji Chicken production cycle, take a 14 day break before you bring in new chicks.
- This gives you time to clean and disinfect the chicken housing before you start the next cycle.
It takes 90 days to grow an Improved Kienyeji Chicken to the point of selling meat.
If you are interested in eggs, it is best to keep layer chicken as they are high yielding and you will get returns sooner.
Activities for each cycle:
Step 1: Day 1
Buy quality Day Old Chicks.
Step 2: Day 1-10
- Provide a clean brooding area to keep the chicks for the first 3 weeks.
- Provide a source of heat, clean water and feed.
- Feed them on Starter Mash.
- Vaccinate according to schedule.
- Keep the brooder clean at all times to avoid chicks falling sick.
Step 3: Day 10-80
- Change feeds slowly from Starter Mash and feed them on Grower Mash.
- Vaccinate according to schedule.
- Keep the house clean and follow all the biosecurity measures.
Step 4: Day 80-90
- Introduce Finisher Mash to your chicken for fast weight gain.
- The feed should be enough for the chicken to eat as much feed as they can.
- Vaccinate according to schedule.
- Keep the house clean and follow all the biosecurity measures.
Step 5: Day 90-95
At this stage, the chicken has reached the market weight and is ready for market.
Notes: After you sell all the Improved Kienyeji chicken, begin a new cycle.
