Organic Indigenous Chicken Farming Gains Popularity in Kenya: Profits, Sustainability, and Local Feed Innovations

Indigenous (kienyeji) chicken farming is experiencing a renaissance in Kenya, especially under organic rearing systems that eliminate synthetic drugs, hormones, and commercial feed additives. As more consumers seek natural, antibiotic-free meat and eggs, small-scale farmers are turning this low-input enterprise into a sustainable source of income.

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Why Indigenous Chickens?

  • Thrive under local climatic conditions
  • Feed on natural forage, reducing costs
  • Resistant to common poultry diseases
  • Preferred in local markets for taste and texture

Organically raised kienyeji birds fetch premium prices, with a mature cock selling at KES 900–1,200, compared to KES 500–700 for conventional broilers.

Organic Feeding Innovations

Farmers are now innovating with locally formulated, chemical-free diets made from:

  • Sunflower cake, millet, sorghum, and sweet potato vines
  • Black soldier fly larvae as a high-protein supplement
  • Fermented feeds using EM (Effective Microorganisms) to improve gut health

Feed costs are reduced by 40%, while promoting healthier growth rates.

Natural Disease Control and Management

Synthetic vaccines and antibiotics are replaced with herbal and probiotic alternatives such as:

  • Aloe vera and garlic for respiratory infections
  • Neem and papaya leaf extract for deworming
  • Use of wood ash and diatomaceous earth in coops to control mites and lice

These interventions maintain flock health while ensuring birds remain compliant with organic certification standards.

Marketing & Value Addition

  • Demand from organic butcheries and restaurants in Nairobi and Eldoret is soaring.
  • Farmers are packaging organic kienyeji eggs (KES 20–25/egg) and smoked chicken for value addition.
  • Co-operatives and women’s groups are linking directly with buyers via WhatsApp and Jiji.

Farmers under the Organic Poultry Association of Kenya (OPAK) report profits of up to KES 70,000 per season from flocks of just 100 birds.