Machakos County Takes Major Steps in Promoting Quail Farming

Below is a post by Larry Wambua who attended a Quail Farmers Conference at Machakos County:

Just finished the quail farming workshop at Garden Hotel, Machakos.
The attendance was impressive, with over 150 people in attendance. There were presentations by the task force on quail farming, KWS, the National Director of Livestock Production and KARI Katumani.

After sharing information with the participants, it was agreed among many others as follows;
a) Machakos County Quail Farmers Association was Formed.
b) KWS will immediately appoint a County Licensing Officer for Machakos.
c) The Director of Marketing in the Ministry of Agriculture will immediately
set up structures to market quail products from the County. He will also
set up a County butchery for quails and chicken.
d) There will be an information desk on quails in the Ministry headquarters.
e) The next meeting will be next month.
f) The Ministry will henceforth regulate and set standards for the industry in the county for the good of all.

We look forward to exciting times ahead, friends.

This is the kind of organization and support we are looking forward to seeing from stake holders in Agri-business. Kudos Machakos County.

Quail Farming Is NOT A Pyramid Scheme: Learn From Australians

Guess when the quail farming industry begun in Australia… 1970! The largest producer of quails in Australia, Game Farm, started their business in 1975. And if you think Kenya is producing a large number of quails, you need to hear this; Game Farm produces about 3.55 million birds annually. I know you don’t wanna make that calculation so let me help you; it’s an average of 296,000 birds per month or 9,900 birds per day! 

That is just about Australia, and mark you, the Game Farm only produces birds for slaughter. So when people talk of quail farming in Kenya being a pyramid scheme, it clearly shows they do not understand what potential the industry carries. Should you compare the number of quails that Kenyans produce per year with what comes from countries that started the business a few years back, it is a real mockery to the potential of our fertile country.

Clive and Erika Wylie from Banyard Game Birds, 

a quail farm at Pittsworth.

The most commonly bred species of quails in Australia’s commercial enterprises is Corturnix Corturnix japonica; that is what we commonly call the Japanese Quails here in Kenya and that is exactly what you will also find in most quail farms in Kenya. This species produces an average of 280 eggs per hen annually and if a male to female ratio of 1:3 is observed, the hatchability is over 70%. Margaret, a farmer in Ruiru actually says that if you maintain cleanliness and handle the incubator well, the hatchability is 90%.

Quails mature at week 6. A mature Japanese quail weighs 160g and takes no more than 30g of feeds daily. You can imagine what a chick takes then. Let’s be realistic; quail farming in Kenya is the in-thing and not a pyramid scheme by any chance. Go right into it fearlessly and scale the heights to as high as you can possibly get. The largest producer of quails in Kenya that I have seen so far has about 10,000 birds. You can be better than that, can’t you?

I wish you the very best as you start your way into the millionaire’s club and may the small birds help you fly high.

To keep yourself informed about the quail farming business in Kenya, you can follow me on twitter by simply sending FOLLOW emfani to 8988 or 40404 if you are on Airtel. It's all free and you will get all the twits via sms. You actually need not be on twitter yourself.