Over 150 women from West Pokot County have received improved kienyeji chicken from the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP).
The farmers received 2,136 chicken in partnership with West Pokot County government at a cost of Ksh0.8 million.
The exercise was led by West Pokot County Chief Officer of Agriculture and Pastoral Economy Samson Nyangaluk at Lomolut Chief office.
This was part of an ongoing poultry project that has implemented by the Government of Kenya.
The donation was part of a resilience programme in the county where farmers are encouraged to rare improved kienyeji to improve their local chicken breed.
According to Nyangaluk, this will provide them with a source of income and in turn improve their livelihoods.
The Chief Officer said that the farmers received the Rainbow rooster breed of chicken because of its resistance to disease and faster maturity rate.
Rainbow roosters also produce more eggs as compared to indigenous or pure kienyeji breed.
“I am encouraging farmers within this region to embrace this type of farming because chicken provides food and its eggs generates income that helps improve livelihoods,” said Nyangaluk.
To put it into perspective, Rainbow roosters will be mature in six months and ready to lay eggs.
West Pokot County KCSAP project Coordinator Mr Philip Tingaa said that the project is offering assistance to farmers through groups and encouraged them to form farmers’ groups in order to get support from the national and county governments and development partners.
So far, KCSAP has reached 172 groups donating 2991 Galla Goats and 743 sheep for breeding purposes in West Pokot.
Tingaa said the farmers were assured of good income as improved kienyeji eggs retail at Ksh20 per eggs as compared to Ksh15 for their indigenous chicken breed.
Happy farmers thanked the government for the initiative adding that the chicken will supliment their food and in turn boost their children's diet.
Farmers were also supplied with poultry feeds and antibiotics and they were urged to observe necessary measures that will help contain infectious diseases that attack chicken.
Farmers were told to keep an eye on their chicken health as some diseases when noticed earlier can be cured; they were also encouraged to take quick action of treating them if they suspected an outbreak of chicken diseases.
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