Willie Ngige, a poultry farmer in Kabete, Kiambu County is earning double income from his layers and their wastes thanks to the latest research by FAO that poultry wastes can increase milk production tenfold a day something that has pushed high the wastes demand by dairy farmers in the area.

According to a research by Simeon Jonathan on Effect of Feeding Poultry Waste Based Diets on Milk Production for the University of Nairobi, the protein content in poultry waste ranges from about 14 to 33 per cent and this can boost milk production by at least 10 litres per day and help dairy animals attain a breeding weight of around 260 kilos by 18 months.

Ngige has been keeping layers from 2010 for eggs but he has since learnt that the sawdust he uses as beddings for the chicken after sometime when they are mixed with droppings offer good feed for dairy farmers.

“I used to discard the wastes or offer them freely to as manure to crop producers from the surrounding but after learning, from other farmers that the wastes are good in dairy, I have taken advantage of the many dairy farmers in the area to commercialise them for extra cash,” said Ngige.

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Ngige who currently has 500 layers has been buying 10 bags of sawdust (wood shavings) weighing 70-90 kilos each from timber dealers in the area. These he says is enough for his chicken for a period of six months.

However, after every one month he collects the wastes after they have been laid on by the chicken and turn colour and use 1cm wire grid to sieve off through before packing them for the market.

In this he realises 4-5 bags of 80 kilos per month which he sells to dairy farmers at Sh800 each making up to Sh4,000 per month.

“Farmers come for this feed on a monthly basis and sometimes I receive prior orders from the farmers who want theirs preserved specifically for them by paying in advance,” said Ngige.

Besides the feeds, Ngige also collects up to 12 crates of eggs per day which he sells at Wangige Market in the county at Sh280 per crate earning him Sh3,360 a day and a total of Sh104,800 per month.