Derrick Poultry Farming Project, Mikumbune South Imenti Meru County

My project will be done in a hygienic environment: the packaging of our egg products will be done using modern technology, while our marketing will be done through door-to-door service delivery of our products (eggs and chickens) to our intended customers/market.

The socioeconomic impact of my business to our community is that we will produce, market and increase the supply of protein (both eggs and chickens) into the market.

We will provide employment (both direct and indirect employment) to the people that will be employed in our farm, and we will increase the amount of protein into the Kenyan market.

Why the motivation

My motivation for this project is to create new and significant employment opportunities: increase the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per-capital income, as well as improve the living standards and economic well-being of the citizens.

I have been engaged in the rearing of chickens and production of eggs on a small scale and as part-time employment; thus, I want to venture into large-scale production of eggs thereby creating employment opportunities to individuals and also increase the GDP and per-capital income of the state and the country at large.

The gains of our business to my community and me include:

To provide job opportunities, first to myself, and to others that will be employed in the farm (that is, both direct and indirect employment). This we will do through training of the individuals on the latest technology used in poultry farming and egg production

to produce, market, and supply eggs and dietary protein to the market/public. This will help in the process of achieving food sustainability in our community and the country at large

we will also provide manure to farmers from the bird droppings that will be produce from our farm. As the bird damp/droppings from the birds are used as manure/fertilizer in the farm. Thus, this will help in increasing the level of food production in our community and the country too.

How I intend to do it

The action I intend to take to achieve my goals towards the success of my project include:

Keep 5,000 birds poultry farming operation producing eggs.

Produce 5,000 eggs daily from our poultry farm operation

Established markets for all the eggs produced in our farms

Maintain a good line of equipment in good operating condition

Operate good facilities for handling/keeping birds and eggs

Increase farm gate sales of eggs by developing a brand name for ourselves

Improve packaging and promotional activities

My project is a business that will initially focus on poultry rearing/keeping, egg production and retail of eggs and chickens.

I will be keeping 5,000 birds for production of egg which will be eventually sold. The eggs to be sold will be wholesale and retail, which we have produced from our farm.

The eggs will be produced in a modern poultry farm using modern production techniques. After producing the eggs, we will package it using modern technology of packaging; the eggs will be sold to the public at local markets and to individual homes.

Support from another investor.

My project is targeting 5000 eggs production daily.Am targeting to keep 5000 chicken which will help me achieve my goal and my dream.Have got a support from one investor who is willing to support my project with 2000 chicken,so the remaining is 3000 so that my project will get full support which will help me achieve what am targeting with the project of 5000 chicken where by i will be having 5000 eggs daily.

The investor has already provided me with two sacks 90kgs of feeds and some medicines that I will be using to treat them with.He has proved his interest to support my project by offering the 2000 chicks and the feeds,then feeders and drinkers to use while feeding them.With your help by helping me get investor who can fund me achieve this will help me achieve my dream and my goal by helping youths in the society by employing them to work in my project.Also it will help the society to grow.

Egg production process:

My project will continue to modernize egg farming production and processing practices in order to meet the demand for nutritious, high-quality eggs.

My project will have very strict safeguards and practices that we will follow to make sure our hens are healthy and to protect the quality of the eggs.

Hen health and egg quality are the top two priorities on egg farms all day, every day. Poultry farming follow guidelines to ensure the hens are provided with nutritious feed, clean water, proper lighting and fresh air.Light, housing, diet and health are very important to the production process in order to provide high-quality eggs, and therefore, very important to the poultry farmer.

Advances in science and technology help poultry farmers preserve safety and quality throughout the gathering, inspecting, packaging and handling process.This is all what my project will be doing.

The production process:

The egg production process includes the following phases:

Laying: Hens lay eggs in a controlled environment and are fed a high-quality, nutritionally balanced diet of feed made up mostly of corn, soybean meal, vitamins and minerals to produce quality eggs.

Collecting: Some eggs are still gathered by hand, but in most production facilities, automated gathering belts do the job.

Washing: Although the hen supplies the bloom, a natural coating to protect the porous shell, in nature, the coating dries and is lost. The bloom is also lost through the egg washing process when the eggs are washed and sanitized.

Candling: The step in the grading during which we will be using (egg grader) to look inside the egg, without breaking it, to determine the quality.

Grading:We will classify our eggs by the interior and exterior quality at the time it is packed. Grades include AA, A or B. There is no difference in the nutritional value between different grades and all eggs sold at the retail level must meet the standards for Grade B or better. However, few Grade B eggs find their way to the retail market.

Grade AA: Egg content covers a small area – white is firm and has thick white surrounding the yolk, and a small amount of thin white. The yolk is round and elevated.

Grade A: Egg content covers a moderate area. White is reasonably firm and has a considerable amount of thick white and a medium amount of thin white. The yolk is round and elevated.

Grade B: Egg content covers a very wide area. White is weak and watery, has no thick white and the large amount of thin white is thinly spread. The yolk is wider than normal and flat.

Sorting and parking: Eggs are sorted according to size (minimum weight per dozen) and should be placed large-end up in their cartons.

Shipping:My project is also targeting to ship eggs in trucks. Most eggs reach the grocery store just one day after being laid and nearly all of them reach the store within 72 hours, or 3 days.

Selling: Eggs must be refrigerated. An egg can age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator. The best place for the egg is in its carton on an inside refrigerator shelf.

Enjoying:My project will be producing a high-quality product that provides all-natural, high-quality protein, that is now 14 percent lower in cholesterol (down from 215 mg to 185 mg), and 64 percent higher in vitamin D.

What I have been able to do so far to get my project started is that I have been able to acquire a piece of land in my home where my farm will be located.I was given a small piece of land by my dad after sharing with him the idea that i have since i had no capital to purchase a land of my own.

The actual measurable success factors for our project will be to maintain 5,000 eggs production level per day in full production (that is, 150,000 eggs per month or 1,825,000 eggs within a year); and also to build off-farm investments.

My plan B:

Am not only looking forward to selling my eggs and chicken to retailers but also in small investors and also in the society.Again have realized that I won’t be depending on selling to those people only but I will open a place where I will be selling a ready made chicken,either roasted it fried.Also eggs I will be doing the same to improve the source of income in my project.I will open the restaurant where people will be enjoying roasted chicken,fried chicken,boiled eggs,fried eggs fully.I will employ youths from the society who will be dealing with that daily.It will help the project add the source of income because we will not be relying on selling eggs and chicken only but also selling which are well prepared and ready to be consumed.

My project is targeting to be making profit in terms of sales made and acquired.The project is targeting ksh 75,