PROMOTION OF INCUBATORS, HATCHERS AND BROODERS IN INDIGENOUS CHICKEN VALUE CHAIN FOR IMPROVED INCOME, FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY
The indigenous chicken value chain in Nandi County and the country at large is still characterized by low production and productivity; largely attributed to low adoption of modern husbandry practices.
The County Government of Nandi through ASDSP Programme is undertaking various poultry projects across the county which include development of viable option innovations to increase productivity of indigenous chicken value chain through utilization of high capacity incubators, hatchers and brooders.
Use of incubators and hatchers is a technology that aims at increasing supply of chicks to farmers in the county and beyond. This will ensure consistent and efficient supply of chicks and this will lead to increase in profitability and productivity of chicken and its products.
It is in light of the foregoing that the County Government of Nandi through the ASDSP has acquired and stationed TWO modern poultry incubators at Kaimosi Agricultural Training College (ATC) with capacities to process 2112 eggs each, in a single hatchling. It has also equipped the institution with FOUR brooding panels with capacities to brood 700 chicks each.
Chick brooders is an approach that aims at reducing mortality rate of chicks which eventually increases the number of chicks and enhances productivity at production stage.
The brooders will be complimented with vaccination of chicken through training of personnel and farmers to carry out the vaccination exercise. This will result in increase of chicken and its products available for trading.
Once operational, interested farmers’ will have a chance to source vaccinated chicks from the ATC at a competitive and subsidised prices.
The acquired equipment is a state of the earth facility that has special features that include:
CCTV cameras for surveillance of the operations, Self-disinfection and sterilization using UV rays to manage hygiene and potential pathogens.
Equipped with extra spare components to minimize spoilages in case of breakdown, the equipment has full aluminum parts to prevent corrosion, automatic for ease of management. The incubator can also operate on AC and DC power while the brooders can also operate using gas.
Intelligent computerized software that can enable management of the processes remotely in the absence of personnel around the hatchery. #TransformingNandi