Former quail farmer finds security in chicken farming

Gladys Chepkoech poultry farm where she wockets an average of sh70, 000 monthly from poultry farming.Photo Benard Sigei

farming.Photo Benard Sige Matobo neighbourhood, Kericho county. This is where we track down Gladys Chepkoech, who pockets an average of Sh70,000 monthly from poultry farming.

This caters for her six-member family’s needs.

“I was bitten by the rearing bug when the quail fad hit the Kenyan market in 2012. A friend told me she was reaping big and I decided to try my hand at it and I have never looked back,” Chepkoech said.

In January 2012, she took a soft loan and added contributions from friends and was able to raise Sh100,000. Chepkoech then obtained a permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service.

She bought 3,000 birds, which she kept in a coop. The birds have a 90 per cent laying rate if they are fed properly.

Quail eggs were sold for Sh100 a piece and an enterprising farmer could not ignore the chance to make huge profits within a short time and with little effort.

She stopped quail farming in 2014 because the market got flooded and the excitement died as quickly as it started, making prices dip. Prices dipped to as low as Sh30.

Something new

The same year she acquired 300 layers. Rearing layers is demanding and not as profitable as Chepkoech had anticipated.

The electricity bill was high because she had to fit bulbs in the coop for warmth.

An egg went for Sh8 and a crate of 30 eggs went for Sh250. The birds needed special attention because any slight disturbance, such as battering of mabati, noise from children playing and too much light, lowered production.