Kenya Agricultural Research Foundation (Kari) has come up with a new breed of indigenous chicken that offers better yield. The breed known as Kari Improved Kienyeji Chicken was developed after years of intensive research under the National Poultry Development Programme. Kari’s senior researcher at Naivasha Poultry Development Institute Ann Wachira said the super breed develops faster, is highly resistant to diseases and has high productivity. “This is a hen that achieves 1.5kg in about five months when the rest of the indigenous breeds take up to seven months or more,” she told Seeds of Gold. “Its ability to withstand harsh conditions is amazing. The feathering system makes it adjust faster than the time taken by others to acclimatise with any climatic conditions, including the arid and semi-arid regions.” It took Kari 10 years to develop the bird after studying the strengths and weaknesses of different breeds of indigenous chickens across the country. “We went to several parts of the country including Turkana, picked chicken and brought them to our laboratories. We then studied them to establish their weaknesses and strengths and then interbred them to produce the best breed.”
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:03:51 +0000
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