Arise Media 
Barely two kilometers off the Embu-Siakago highway at Maramuri area, the Arise Media team takes the bumpy, murramed road leading to Kamutungi village, Mbeere South Constituency.
We drive about 10 minutes before turning left, proceeding on the narrow road to Elizabeth Njoki Muraguri’s poultry farm.
On arrival, we meet Njoki feeding her month-old chicks in the chicken coop measuring 16 by 10 feet.
“Here, I have 350 chicks. I have older birds in other cages,” says the farmer who resigned from her former job to start the poultry project in 2017.
Njoki shocked many when she resigned from her position to pursue a dream deeply rooted in agriculture. She worked at the Embu municipality.
Fueled by a long-held passion for farming and a desire for a more hands-on connection with the land, she decided to leap into poultry entrepreneurship.
“During my working days, I reared chicken for home consumption. After resigning, I used my Sh300,000 savings to start,” she reveals.
Njoki used some money to purchase two incubators at Sh120,000 each and build cages. She used the remaining amount to buy fertilized eggs and chick feeds.
Njoki says since she knew what she wanted to achieve, she could visit poultry farmers outside working hours to gain skills.
“With that knowledge, it was easy to know the best egg to incubate,” she says, adding that she keeps the Sasso chicken breed.
Sasso chicken is a duo-purpose breed that can be used for meat and eggs. This breed can tolerate harsh climatic conditions and gain weight faster, reaching market weight in 10 weeks.
Experts say the ideal hatching egg should weigh between 50 and 68 grams (depending upon flock age), have clearly defined round and pointed ends, good color, clean and undamaged shell free from infection.
She says chicken farming is pocket-friendly, unlike rearing animals like cows, goats, or pigs. The birds require little space and their maintenance cost is low.
Njoki seems to have used a lot of money during the start of the project because she was also purchasing incubators.
Once the chicks emerge, the real work begins. Njoki creates a nurturing environment where the young ones can thrive.
From providing specialized diets to ensuring a cozy coop, every detail is carefully considered. The bond between farmer and flock deepens as she spends countless hours observing and caring.
Her daily routine begins with cleaning the cages every morning, followed by observing the birds for any changes in behavior.
“I carefully observe the position of the heads, aggression, and feather plucking among other things. On observing anything unusual, I separate the affected bird from the rest of the flock,” she says.
Veterinary officer Sammy Gitonga alias Village Vet, says administering vaccines at the right time is crucial in the management of the health of a poultry flock. He says the first vaccine is Marek and is administered at the hatchery.
Njoki sells her birds at different ages, depending on customer requirements. This changes the cost per bird. At her farm, a day-old chick goes for Sh100. To her, customer referrals and online marketing do wonders.
She remembers a day she sold 20 cocks to a hotelier at Sh1, 800 each making Sh36,000. Njoki says she can’t regret her decision to leave her previous work for chicken.
“I post my work on social media platforms where customers pick my number for further communication. Also, clients are directed to me by those whom I have served in the past. I also attend ASK shows where I exhibit and attract many people,” she reveals.
Most of her customers come from the local hotels, poultry farmers, and neighboring counties.
Njoki uses modern pots to raise the chicks, therefore cutting electricity costs. She notes that chicken feeds are expensive, frustrating many farmers.
“The pots have small holes on the sides to emit enough warmth without hurting the chicks. These pots have saved me a lot,” she reveals.
To curb the high cost of feeds, she has planted sunflowers and maize on a five-acre farm to get raw materials for feed production. Njoki trains farmers about poultry management without charges.
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