 I have never understood why Kenyans and other Africans are obsessed with chicken.You would never find them rearing or consuming ducks,geese,turkeys,guinea fowls or quails.
People might think chickens are the only option for eggs or meat but that is not the case. Most poultry species lay eggs, all the species are prized for their meat, and some have other benefits in the homestead.
1.CHICKEN (kuku,nguku,ingoho,enkoko,ngokaik,gweno)
Chickens do it all: They lay delicious eggs, they provide meat, they eat insects, they give you manure and they are cheap and easy to keep.
An adult hen lays four to six eggs a week, which means 10 to 20 chickens are enough to keep a family well supplied and have extra eggs for sale.They do not need a cock to lay. Chickens require about 4 square feet per bird if kept under free range system and 2 square feet per bird if kept under intensive system, and .They eat approximately 100 to 120gms of feed per bird per day, and it’s quite easy to make your own chicken feed. Many farmers can get money to buy their own chicken feed directly from the sale of eggs.
2. GEESE(BATA BUKINI in swahili)
Geese can lay 20 to 40 eggs a year. They have the largest eggs of all domesticated poultry at 140gms.Geese are prized for their delicious dark meat, and when slaughtered their fluffy under feathers used to make pillows.
These large birds also have some unexpected uses. They are used for weeding in gardens and compounds.They also make excellent guards, honking loudly at the sign of any intruders .
Geese do need more space, about 5 square feet per bird under free range and 3 square feet per bird under intensive system. They need access to water in order to swallow their food, but they don’t need a full pond to bathe in. As long as water is deep enough for them to immerse their beaks they should be fine, and geese that are grazing on grass and green vegetation need little if any commercial feeds to supplement their grazing. Geese kept on commercial feeds eat about 200gms of feed a day.
3. DUCKS(bata,mbata,atudo)
Ducks use water to bathe and eat—they also cannot swallow without immersing their beaks in water that assists them in clearing the stuck food in the mouth.They can survive without pond water though.
Ducks need approximately 3 square feet per bird if under intensive system and 5 square feet per bird if under free range system. Geese and ducks sleep on the ground, unlike chickens, who prefer being able to roost at night. Adult ducks will eat about 120gms of feed per bird per day.Ducks are omnivores and enjoy tadpoles, lizards, mice and green vegetation.
Ducks can be slaughtered for meat at 7 weeks weighing 2.5kgs.Ducks will lay about 250 to 330 eggs per year(ducks lay more eggs than chicken).This is a bird you can sell at not less than 1500ksh(15$)
4.)TURKEYS(BATA MZINGA in swahili)
They eat about 250gms of feed per day but can consume less if they are actively grazing.
Turkeys mature at about 28 weeks(7 months)and lay 80 to 100 eggs per year.The weight of their eggs is at 65 to 70gms and their eggs are speckled.
     Turkeys can reach weights of upto 10kg at 6 to 7mths.
5.)GUINEA FOWLS(kanga,awendo,tergekyat,nganga,likhanga)
If kept in captivity, they need 2 to 3 square feet per bird under intensive system. Additionally, guineas eat almost no commercial feeds when kept under free range system if fed on grass and green vegetation.They lay eggs seasonally, usually about 30 eggs a year. Their meat is more tastier than that of a chicken.
   A guinea fowl’s egg weigh 40 to 45 grams and has a very thick shell so transporting the eggs isn’t a problem since they don’t break easily.
Apart from eggs and meat, many farmers keep guineas to protect flocks of smaller birds, such as chickens, and to reduce pests such as ticks and snakes on the farm. Guinea fowls are active foragers and love little insects and ticks, and they are fearless hunters when confronted with snakes. They won’t shrink from mice or rats, either.
Guinea fowls are very loud birds so if you live in town you’ve got to consider this and they wander far when left to free range. but they are excellent low-maintenance fowl if you want pest control and fresh eggs.
  If in Kenya you need a special permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service(KWS) to rear guinea fowls for they are considered wild animals.A permit will cost you 500kshs(5$).
6.) QUAILS(aluru,tsisindu,ngware)
  Kenyans would punch you in the throat if you mention this birds in their presence.They know what happened during the quail fiasco in the year 2010 to 2014
Quails are great birds to keep on a small farm because they themselves are smaller and need only 1 square foot per bird in a shelter. They don’t roost and don’t require nesting boxes, preferring to lay their eggs in private corners. Nervous and fearful by nature, they love having plenty of places to hide in their structures.
Quails are productive layers, averaging more than 200 eggs in a year. These eggs are tiny and speckled, and they are considered a delicacy. Quail meat is also prized, however the breed yields very little per bird.Quails feed on 15gms of feed per day.Adults weigh about 120gms.Quails start laying at about 6 to 8 weeks of age.
   In conclusion,If you have the space in your homestead it can be profitable to keep a variety of poultry breeds.Most Kenyans are only used to chicken as the main poultry type.Each species of poultry is unique in its own way and the earlier we try them the better.The market for this poultry types is there it’s only that sometimes we are too lazy to market them.Try upmarket restaurants,local market areas,institutions of learning and even your neighbours.
   Farmers should always strive to earn from different streams of income.There is an exciting world out there,loosen up.
      Peoplesmind
