A poultry farmer in Kericho has embarked on a rare supplementary feeding method for his chicken breeding venture to address the challenges of skyrocketing commercial poultry feed prices by using black soldier flies (BSF).
Silas Kipruto, 34, a resident of Chepkubei village within Belgut sub-county in Kericho County is using BSF that is a sustainable source of proteins for his chicken, slashing his feeding costs and ensuring the birds fetch better prices.
When KNA visited his farm, christened the Palace Farm, which is on a one-acre plot of land, Kipruto’s chicken farm had around 500 improved kienyeji birds in various stages of breeding housed in six litter systems with adequate natural light and ventilation, with portable bell drinkers and hanging portable feeders. He also has eight solar panels that generate 800 watts of electricity, providing sufficient warmth for his chicken and lighting too during the night.
The deep litter system is the traditional rearing of birds on the floor where they have more freedom to move around, scratch, stretch, flap, and ruffle.
In a section of his chicken farm stands his BSF breeding area where a wooden structure measuring four by six meters with two rows of wooden shelves are spotted having six plastic basins full of organic wastes, two plastic water jerricans of 50 litres each holding organic waste of maize germ and banana peels mixed with water placed on the ground alongside the wooden shelves.
Opposite the wooden shelves are four wooden cages covered with net-like clothing. Inside these cages are black soldier flies that resemble wasps flying around the plastic basins full of light brown colored BSF larvae that resemble cocoons. Wooden planks called eggies are seen placed across the plastic basins where the BSF get to lay their eggs.
Kipruto said he learnt the art of producing the black soldier flies from a poultry farmer in Bomet County, as well as watching a series of trainings through YouTube, one of the many social media platforms, and admits that it is a simple technique that any farmer can do. He noted that this was a more sustainable source of protein for his chicken as it went to cutting down the chicken feeding costs substantially, thus ensuring heavy poultry that fetches better prices.
“I opted to embark on black soldier fly rearing because the cost of poultry feeds increased, and I decided to look for alternative ways of supplementing feeds for my birds. BSF has 50 per cent protein, and this helps in the growth of chicken at a fast rate. The chicken feed on BSF larvae fetches better prices. I brood my chicks using my hatchery.
In a month, I can brood 1,500 chicks and farmers as far as from Samburu and the neighbouring county of Bomet come to buy one to six months old to start their chicken farms. My poultry farm can keep up to 2,500 birds, but most times the birds are in high demand as farmers come to buy to start their chicken farms, and I can be left with 400 birds,” revealed Kipruto.
He continued to explain that a farmer requires a wooden media called the eggies that has cavities where the BSF will come and lay its eggs and also an attracter which is a smelly liquid substance which attracts the BSF to come and lay its eggs.
“The plastic basins which have the organic wastes, and on my farm, I use maize germ and banana peels. I then place them in the net-covered compartments for the BSF to get attracted to come and lay its eggs on the eggies. Within a fortnight, the eggs hatch and form the larvae, which drop onto the organic matter in the plastic basins.
By nature, the BSF instincts tell it that it needs to lay its eggs where its larvae will find food. I later introduce my kitchen waste, composed of fruits and chicken droppings, to feed the larvae, and in a week, the larvae have grown enough and are ready for harvesting. I sieve off the kitchen waste and feed it to my chicken as well as use it to make compost waste,” noted Kipruto.
“All the larvae, except a few, were kept to perpetuate the colony. I also get to sell to farmers who are interested in establishing their own BSF. Within 10 days, the larvae pass to the pupae stage before becoming flies. The flies live in water where they lay the eggs that begin the process again. So I have a continuous supply of the BSF larvae to feed on the chicken in addition to supplementing using the commercial feeds. I also get to sell the larvae to farmers who are interested in establishing their own BSF,” said Kipruto.
The father of two reveals that having established his chicken breeding farm in 2012 with only seven birds, he started on BSF a year ago in a bid to reduce his feeding costs for his poultry.
” The highest percentage of feed requirements a bird needs is protein. A 50-kilogram bag of commercial feeds goes for Sh3,500, and in the previous year before I started on BSF, I would use 50 kilograms of this for my chicken daily. Currently, in a day I can now use 35 kilograms or 40 kilograms of these commercial feeds depending on the production of the BSF larvae. BSF cuts the costs by 30 per cent. This is good because I am able to cut feeding costs and I get to save and use this money for other inputs around my farm. The waste from the flies is used to make composite manure that I use to add on my traditional vegetables farm for increased crop productivity. I have seen a big difference from the time I only fed my birds with commercial feeds. My poultry are healthier and gain more weight,” noted farmer Kipruto.
He appealed to both the national and county governments to expose youths who have opted to venture into farming as a source of livelihood to smart agriculture and smart agriculture practices through social media platforms and also through the media adding that this will go a long to encourage many more youths to invest in the agricultural sector.
Kipruto said he was happy to have ventured into farming and has no regrets of pursuing his lifetime passion while in the same breath advised youths to embrace agriculture and agribusiness as a path to addressing unemployment and boost food security in their communities.
“I am the happiest youth because I have reaped a lot from farming. This is my source of livelihood, and I can provide for my family as well. One can start small and continue building up. This work requires patience, hard work, and there is no giving up when faced with challenges, but a farmer should seek amicable solutions that will provide sustainability as well as foster growth in my farming venture,” he noted.
