Difference Between Kuroiler, Kenbro, Rainbow Rooster and KARI Improved Chicken
#FarmersTrendMay 23, 2017Difference Between Kuroiler, Kenbro, Rainbow Rooster and KARI Improved Chicken2017-05-23T10:53:33+00:00 #Trending, Poultry Farming
As kienyeji chickens become more and more popular in Kenya, more and more breeds are entering the market.These improved breeds have higher productivity than the local kienyeji breeds. They have been bred for certain purposes. As a farmer, it is important to take advantage of the different kienyeji chicken breed’s characteristics to fit your purposes. For example, If you are keeping chickens for meat, a rainbow rooster gains faster weight than the improved KARI and kuroiler breeds. Here are some of the improved kienyeji breeds;

KARI kienyeji: This was bred from a range of indigenous chickens in Kenya by KARI (now KARLO) Naivasha. There are five distinct types distinguished by their colours (Table 2)
Kuroiler: This breed entered Kenya from Uganda but originates from India
Kenbro: This is a Kenchick breed
The rainbow rooster: This is a multi-coloured breed originating from India .
Here is a summarized table showing different kienyeji chicken breeds with their characteristics:
Description | KARI kienyeji | Kuroiler | Kenbro | Rainbow rooster |
Purpose | Eggs and meat | Eggs and meat | Eggs and meat | Eggs and meat |
Maturity (months) | 5.5 | 5 | 4-5 | 5 |
Average egg production (per month) | 15-20 | 18-20 | 20-25 | 20-25 |
Average meat production | Cocks: 2.0-2.2kg | Cocks: 2.2-2.5 kg | Cocks: 2.2-2.5 | Cocks: 3.0 kg |
Hens: 1.5-1.8 kg | Hens: 1.8-2.2 kg | Hens: 1.9-2.2 kg | Hens: 1.9- 2.2 kg | |
Feeding | Normal | Medium | Heavy | Medium |
Sitting characteristics | Multi-coloured ones are good sitters | Poor sitters | Does not sit | Does not sit |
Decline in production (years) | Hens: 1.5 years | Hens: 1.5 years | Hens: 1.5 years | Hens: 1.5 years |
Cocks: 1.3 years | Cocks: 1 year | Cocks: 1 year | Cocks: 1 year | |
Disease resistance compared to each other | High | Low | Low | High |
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Improved KARI indigenous chickens come in five different colours; spotted, white, black, brown and multi-coloured. They have the following characteristics;
Colour | Visual Features | Sitting | Laying | Weight/ meat |
Spotted | Good camouflage | Poor sitters. 25% will sit | Poor layer | Faster weight gain Highest quality meat with better muscle structure |
White | With some black | White starts laying earlier.Good layers. More eggs. Larger eggs, so stronger chicks | Becomes heavier | |
Black | With brown front | Moderate | ||
Brown | ||||
Multi-coloured | More indigenous | Better sitters. 75% birds sit | Moderate layers |
When starting on improved indigenous chicken business, consider the above characteristics and choose the breed that best suits your purpose. Ensure that you get your breeds from certified breeders for pure breeds.
Much Regards
- Published in NEWS
COST OF REARING 500 COMMERCIAL LAYERS
- BROODING CHICK
NO | ITEM | UNIT | QUANTITY | UNIT PRICE | TOTAL PRICE |
1. | Day old chicks | pieces | 500 | 105 | 52,500 |
2. | Cardboards | pieces | 15 | 550 | 8,250 |
3. | Brooder lamps | pieces | 10 | 750 | 7,500 |
4. | Brooding jikos | Pieces | 5 | 1500 | 7,500 |
5. | Chicks feeders | pieces | 20 | 350 | 7,000 |
6. | Chicks drinkers | Pieces | 20 | 350 | 7,000 |
TOTAL | 89,750 |
2. FEEDS
AGE (WEEKS) | FEED TYPE | AMOUNT/70 KG BAG | COST KSH | TOTAL COST |
0-8 Weeks | Chick mash starter and chick mash | 10 bags | 3500 | 35,000 |
8-20 Weeks | Growers mash | 50 bags | 2500 | 125,000 |
20 and above | Layers mash | About 250 bags till end of laying | – | – |
TOTAL | 160,000 |
- OTHER EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT | QUANTITY | UNIT PRICE | TOTAL AMOUNT |
Round Feeders | 20 | 600 | 12,000 |
Round drinkers | 20 | 600 | 12,000 |
Laying nests | Later made | – | – |
Perches and roosts | – | – | 5,000 |
Saw dust and n/paper | – | – | 5,000 |
Egg trays | Later | – | – |
TOTAL | 34,000 |
- VACCINES
TREATMENT | FREQUENCY | UNIT PRICE | TOTAL AMOUNT |
Gumboro | 2 | 500/100 | 1000 |
Newcastle Disease | 3 | 500/100 | 1500 |
Vitamins and | 3 | 500/100 | 1500 |
Fowl pox | 1 | 500/100 | 500 |
Other antibiotics | – | – | 2000 |
Dewormers | – | – | 1000 |
TOTAL | – | – | 7500 |
- GRAND TOTAL
NO. | ITEM | COST |
1. | BROODING CHICKS | 89,750 |
2. | FEEDS | 160,000 |
3. | OTHER EQUIPMENT | 34,000 |
4. | VACCINES | 7,500 |
5. | MISC. | 10,000 |
TOTAL | 301,250 |
NB:
1. The above projection is for 500 commercial layers from day one till 5months of expected maturity
2. The prices are subject to change either upwards or downwards depending on the market prices which fluctuates so this is not the final figures.
- Published in NEWS
A step-by-step guide to inseminate hens at home
The technology requires one to understand the basic anatomy and physiology of the hen and cock’s reproductive tract. One must also be technically competent in semen collection and deposition procedures to achieve effectiveness in producing fertilised eggs.
MINIMAL STRESS
Prior to semen collection, cocks must be trained. This is done by massaging the bird’s abdomen and back for about a minute for three consecutively days.
This is the most commonly used method since it is non-invasive and has minimal stress on the cock.
The procedure involves restraining the cock followed by gentle but rapid stroking of the abdomen and back region towards the tail (testes are located in this region).
Doing this stimulates the copulatory organ making it to protrude.
At this point, the handler should quickly push the tail of the cock up with one hand and at the same time, using the thumb and forefinger, gently squeeze the region surrounding the sides of the cloaca to “milk” semen from the ducts of the copulatory organ.
Semen should then be collected in a small tube or any cup-like container. This procedure is repeated twice once a day; an additional round may cause damage to the testes and cloacal region. The volume of semen that can be collected from a single cock ranges from about 0.7 to one millilitre, with a sperm concentration of three to four billion per ml.
However, the quantity of semen depends on genetics and environmental factors such as age, bodyweight, season and nutrition.
The degree to which the male will respond to the abdominal massage technique and the pressure applied on the ejaculatory ducts will also influence the quantity of semen produced.
Chicken semen begins to lose fertilising ability when stored for more than an hour. Therefore, it must be deposited in the hen within an hour of collection. In the case of short-term storage and transportation of the semen, it is necessary to use liquid cold (four degrees celcius) storage to maintain spermatozoa viability for up to 24 hours.
Vaginal insemination is commonly used for semen deposition as there are less risks of injury to the hen.
Preliminary stroking and massaging of the back and abdomen is required to stimulate the hen. This is followed by applying pressure to the left side of its abdomen around the vent causing evertion of the cloaca hence protrusion of the vaginal orifice.
An inseminator containing the semen is inserted 2.5cm deep into this opening for semen to be deposited. As the semen is expelled by the inseminator, pressure around the vent is released so that the oviduct can return to its normal position and draw the semen inwards to the utero-vaginal junction.
LATE AFTERNOON
Inseminators such as straws, syringes or plastic tubes may be used. During insemination, the volume of semen required per hen is about 0.1ml, which contains about 100 to 200 million sperms. It is best to inseminate hens in the late afternoon between 2pm and 4pm since in the morning, hens may have an egg in the oviduct, making it difficult for the sperm to swim up to the ovary.
A significant feature of the reproductive physiology of the hen is the ability to store fertile spermatozoa for up to 14 days in the sperm storage tubules located at the utero-vaginal junction.
The tubules release the semen, slowly over time, which swim to the fertilisation site and allows hens to be inseminated consecutively for two days for the first time, and thereafter at regular intervals of 14 days.
Twenty-four hours after insemination, egg-breakout analysis is carried out to determine egg fertility.Much Regards
James M
- Published in NEWS