When it comes to making a profit with chicken farming in Kenya, there are several factors that inform how much you can make. One of them is the number of chickens you have. So, How many chickens do you need to make a profit in Kenya?
How Many Chickens Do I Need to Make a Profit?
You should have at least 20 birds to make a profit with poultry farming in Kenya, according to our experience. However, the number of chickens you need to make a profit will depend on several factors. So, it would be unwise to give a definite figure since there are many factors to consider.
Of course, you can still make a profit with as low as 5 chickens. That is why the question is not so much about whether or not you can make a profit but how much profit you want to make. It is possible to make money even with 2 hens.
It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. For instance, if you just want to sell eggs in your local market or to your neighbors, you don’t need a lot of chicken.
Why Does The Number of Chicken Matter?
When it comes to poultry farming, profitability is almost always directly proportional to the number of chickens. In other words, the more chicken you have, the more money you will likely make.
This is because there are several costs that are fixed regardless of the number of chickens you have. For instance, you will need to buy poultry equipment and housing regardless of how many chickens you have. The same applies to feeds and medication.
For these reasons, you should always have a good number of chickens if you want to make a profit from poultry farming in Kenya. However, it is important to note that the exact number will vary depending on your situation.
So, what do you need to consider when deciding how many chickens to start with?
How to Decide How Many Chickens You Need to Make A Profit
When deciding how many chickens you should have in Kenya in order to make a profit with poultry farming, you should factor in:
- The level of experience you have with chicken farming
- Your initial investment
- The available space
- The type of chicken (Broilers, layers, kienyeji etc)
- How much you are willing to spend on labour
- How much you can spend on feeds
- The cost of housing
Let’s look at each of these factors in more detail.
Your Level of Experience
Few people will tell you this, but chicken farming in Kenya is hard. It is not something you can just wake up and start doing without any experience. It requires planning, dedication, and a lot of hard work.
If you are just starting out, we recommend that you start small. Don’t try to do too much at once. For instance, if you have never kept chickens before, don’t start with 500 birds.
Instead, start with a small flock of 5-15 hens. This will allow you to get the necessary experience and avoid any major mistakes that can put you out of business.
Your Initial Investment
Another important factor to consider is your initial investment. How much money can you afford to spend on buying chicken and setting up your chicken farm? How many chickens can you afford to feed on a daily basis?
Let’s assume you have the experience, but do you have enough money to buy 500 chickens or would you rather start with 10?
If you don’t have a lot of money, we recommend that you start small. Buy the number of chickens you can afford and build a small structure. You can always expand your flock once you have made some profits and can afford to reinvest in your business.
The Available Space
Do you have enough space to keep 100 chickens or will you have to limit yourself to 20?
If you live in a big compound, then this should not be an issue. However, if you are planning to raise chickens in an urban area or on a small farm, space may be limited. In such cases, it is better to start with a small number of chickens that can fit in the available space.
The Type of Chicken
There are several types of chicken that you can keep in Kenya. These include:
- Broilers – These are chickens that are raised for their meat.
- Layers – These are chickens that are raised for their eggs.
- Kienyeji chicken – These are a type of chicken that are native to Kenya and are raised by most farmers in the country. They are good for both eggs and meat.
So, how many chickens should you start with? It all depends on whether you want to sell eggs or meat. If you want to focus on selling eggs, then you can start with just 10-20 hens. However, if you specialize in broilers, then you should start with at least 50-100 birds.
Whatever the case, make sure you do your research and keep your business plan realistic.
Cost of Labour
If you will be hiring people to help you with your chicken farming business in Kenya, you need to factor this into your costs. So, if you don’t have experience or time, it is likely that you will have to spend some money on hiring people to help with tasks such as feeding and egg collection.
If you have just a few chickens, you might not even incur labour costs since you can manage them yourselves. On the other hand, if you have a large flock of birds, you might need to hire full-time staff to help with the day-to-day running of the farm.
The cost of labour can vary depending on the number of hours required and the number of workers needed.
Housing
Are you prepared to build a coop for 500 chickens or can you manage only a small house for 10 or 20 chicken?
The cost of housing will depend on the number of chickens you have and the type of housing you want. For instance, if you are planning to keep layers, then you need to build a chicken house that has space for them to lay their eggs.
If you want to keep broilers, then you need a chicken coop that provides protection from the elements and predators.
In any case, make sure you have a well-designed chicken house that can comfortably accommodate your flock of birds without putting too much pressure on the resources on your farm.
The Bottom Line
The number of chicken you need to make a profit in Kenya depends on a number of factors. These include your initial investment, the available space, the type of chicken you want to keep, and the cost of labour.
It is important that you do your research and make a realistic plan before you start your chicken farming business in Kenya. All in all, remember that it is possible to make a profit with any number of chickens.
The question is, how much profit do you want to make?
