Kienyeji Chicken feed in general.

Feeding kienyeji chicken is fairly easy! The only difference is the goal of the farmer once the chicken reaches maturity. Different types of feeds have a different effect on chicken depending on growth and productivity. For pure kienyeji chicken, their maturity period is a little bit longer than other improved kienyeji chicken and genetically modified commercial chicken breeds, so, they do not need a definite blueprint for what and how to feed them. Kienyeji Chicken feed; according to my experience is divided into two;

1. Home mixed feed

Here a farmer does his or her due diligence to determine what is best for their chicken individually. For this case, the farmer knows best and what the farmer wants is what the farmer gets! Home mixed feeds are supposed to be mixed to the exact right amount to avoid cases of deficiency of nutrients in chicken at a later date. This may cause a decrease in productivity and affect growth.

2. Commercial feed

Commercial feeds are feeds prepared by manufacturing entities. They say that commercial feeds are the best for business, but how much profit will the farmer pocket for keeping a handful of chicken using commercial feeds? The chicken is a heavy eater. Different breeds consume different rates of feed. But all the same, in order to get the best productivity out of a chicken, it must be fed well. And commercial feeds are the best option for those farmers keeping large numbers of chickens.

Both of these feed types are good for you depending on your financial situation and preference. It is mostly assumed that home-mixed chicken feed is 30 percent cheaper than commercial kienyeji chicken feeds. In this post today i am going to look at the reasons why you should buy quality kienyeji chicken feed, be it mixing your own feed, or buying commercial feed.

 

Why buy commercial chicken feed?

• To provide the right nutrients to your flock.

Manufacturers know the exact amounts of the right nutrients for the efficient growth of a chicken from when it starts out as a chick to when it is ready to be slaughtered for KFC…😂 To make work much easier, there are some companies that even have the contents of the feed written on the bag. NOTICE; I wrote SOME! It is true that some of us farmers are not in it for the know-how, but for the money, so keeping track of every single nutrient is a hustle. But thanks to commercial feed manufacturers for saving us the trouble…

• To have a steady growth curve and production scale.

Keeping kienyeji chicken can be done as a hobby and as a business. Keeping kienyeji chicken as a business is not a joke… To avoid any loss, you have to keep track of your input vs output. Having a steady growth curve requires good feed, multivitamins, vaccines, antibiotics, and even some time to run out in the sun… but most importantly, a chicken has got to eat good feed.

• Prevent bacterial infections and diseases.

It is sad to say that not all manufacturers make the same quality of kienyeji chicken feed. Some feed may actually harbor bacterial infections that may cause loss to you as the farmer… That is why you should be careful when selecting your commercial kienyeji chicken feed brand.

• It is easier.

With commercial kienyeji chicken feed, all you have to do is walk into any manufacturer’s depot or an agro vet and buy the best feed for your chicken depending on their stage of growth or production. You don’t have to worry about sourcing for single nutrients, manpower to mix the feed, or the know-how.

 

Why mix your own kienyeji chicken feed?

• To have complete control over what your chicken eats.

I personally appreciate having complete control over what my chicken feed on. This gives me a chance to acquire knowledge on what i can use to capitalize on my agribusiness venture. With control, you can do more on your terms.

• It is cheaper.

It is much cheaper to mix your own kienyeji chicken feed. In another article, i will look at what you exactly need to have the ‘BEST’ home mixed kienyeji chicken feed. Again, with home-mixed feeds, nothing is by the book, you can feed your chicken with whatever you want provided it contains the right nutrients to satisfy growth and the right production.

Cheap and alternative sources of chicken feed.

A farmer does not have to break the bank in order to feed his or her kienyeji chicken. Kienyeji chicken arehardy and can forage for their feed in the right conditions. Free ranging is a system of keeping kienyeji chicken and other breeds of chicken that has proven to be relatively advantageous as well as less costly to the farmer themselves. Some sources of alternative and cheap feeds that i came up with are like;

• Black Soldier Fly Farming.

A black soldier fly is an insect that provides supplement feed for chicken, fish, pigs and even dogs in some cases 😂… I think that black soldier flies are the future for animal feed because of the increased reliance on protein based feed to boost meat production; dont you think?

I am part of this amazing group that provides training on black soldier fly farming. It is a community that helps farmers around our country get started as well as stay informed with black soldier fly farming practises. PS: You cannot make millions from it, but maybe reduce cost of feeding your chicken. Let me know if you are interested in joining the community!

Up to this point, I think you have a rough idea about whether you should buy or mix kienyeji chicken feeds. Salute to those free-range kienyeji chicken farmers who are already seeing success in their ventures.

In another post will cover a little story of how I should have thought about free-ranging my chicken right from the start… I will also look at how you can make it easier for your chicken to happily survive in a free-range system. Meanwhile, you can have a look at how I thought I should have started my agribusiness venture.