Poultry farming in Kenya – How Leah makes KSh.120,000 per Month

poultry farming

Poultry Farming in Kenya

The first thing that catches your eye when you arrive at Leamose Poultry Farm is a flock of multi-coloured indigenous chicken darting joyously from side to side inside a wire mesh fenced compound.That’s when one wants to try poultry farming.

The farm at Kabiruini village near the Nyeri showground and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology belongs to Leah Muthoni who crossbreeds indigenous chicken with exotic ones to improve productivity.

Good Read: Tips to getting more eggs from your chickens

Leah likes the crossbreed chickens because they are resistant to diseases and mature faster than the local Kienyeji chicken.

We found Leah this week in a green apron cleaning the water traps inside one of the chicken cages while feeding them with maize germ.

She directs one of her farm workers to lead us in.

“Cleanliness is what has ensured my chickens do not contract diseases easily,” she tell us.

Leah is keeping over 200 indigenous mature chickens after she sold more than 500 others over the last holidays.

She supplies the eggs and sells the mature birds to hotels and various supermarkets in Nyeri town. She also sells chicks to other farmers who come from as far away as Laikipia, Meru, and Kirinyaga.

The farmer went into poultry farming in 2013, with six Kienyeji chickens.

“My husband, a former police officer, then went to the bank and got me a loan of Sh400,000 with which I bought a hatchery, brooders, a water tank and water traps. I also installed electricity and constructed cages.”

She then enrolled in a poultry farming training which was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Between Layers and Broilers, Which is More Profitable?

Should you invest in Layers or Broilers?

In the chicken industry in Kenya, there are three main sectors: Layers, which are the chicken bred and raised to produce eggs, or broilers, chicken raised and bred to be slaughtered meat and the indigenous breeds. Whatever sector you choose, you have to make the right decisions to make your chicken business a profitable one.

I have come across the question of which is the best enterprise between broilers and layers on several different occasions.

I will not give a direct answer. However, here is a simple calculation to help you make a right decision.

NOTE:

1. The calculation below is based on feeds only since it contributes to up to 80% of cost of production and does not cover costs of drugs, or building or labor and other overheads.
2. It is based on current market price which changes from time to time and should be used as a guide.

Caleb Karuga: how I built my Sh. 800,000 chicken farm

Chicken farm

Immediately after he was forcefully retrenched from his TV job at K24 in 2013, Caleb Karuga ventured into poultry farming. Two years later, he has no regrets to boot. In fact, the founder and CEO of Wendy Farms Limited has gone on to build a poultry empire that rakes in over Sh. 800,000 from KARI Kienyeji Chicken, and trainings of other farmers.

However, his journey into successful chicken farming has not been a walk in the park. When Karuga first ventured into farming he acquired 200 pigs because pigs were the ‘it’ thing at the time. With no proper research, the venture failed.

He made another attempt, buying two hens and one cock. “When the two hens started laying eggs I decided to buy more hens from neighboring farms. That was my biggest mistake because some of the hens were not vaccinated. In a span of about one month and a half, I had lost about 200 hens. I learned that you should never buy birds that you are not sure whether or not they have been vaccinated.”

Not one to give up easily, Karuga purchased 500 day-old chicks from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, but once again made loses as his employees sold the chickens in his absence.

“Theft by employees was the major challenge we have faced. I bought the chicks at KSh. 100 each and after a month of feeding them my employees were selling them off for KSh. 50 each. When they matured I would be told the hens had ‘died’ of diseases.”

Karuga, nevertheless, soldiered on and bought another 1,500 chicks, but because he used cheaper feed, egg production was poor. Eventually Karuga realized that he would make three times more selling day-old chicks than what he was making selling eggs. “I learned that in indigenous chicken farm, the money is in day-old chicks, not eggs. It was like a light bulb moment for me. I realized that I had been sitting on a gold mine.”

60 Simple Rules of Personal Finance

The most important rule of personal finance? Spend less than you earn.

A while back, I was asked to give an hourlong presentation where I talked about my key principles of personal finance. I chose to give a presentation where each slide was available for about a minute with one simple rule on each slide, giving me a minute to discuss that rule. Thus, I ended up coming up with 60 short and simple rules for personal finance.

I would happily share the presentation with you, but I’m not sure of the copyright nature of some of the images used. Instead, I’m just going to present the 60 rules, along with my quick personal thoughts on each rule.

Of course, not everyone will be able to follow each rule all of the time. However, the more you follow these “rules,” the better your financial situation will become.

#1 – Spend less than you earn

If there is a single fundamental rule of personal finance, it’s this. You have to spend less than you earn and put away that difference for the future so that you can still survive and thrive when you’re older and don’t have the opportunities and energy of today. Without your earnings being greater than your expenses, you simply cannot achieve big financial goals without some sort of miracle – and you should never bet your future on a miracle.

#2 – Keep everything as simple as possible

The more credit cards you have, the more chances you have for identity theft and the more chances you have to miss a payment. The more investment accounts you have, the less attention you can give to each one and the more likely it is that you’ll miss a big problem. The more accounts and investments and bills that you have, the more time and energy you have to spend to stay on top of it all and the more likely it is that you’re going to make an error.

Simplify. Cancel some of those cards. Roll over some of those investments. Consolidate some of those debts.

#3 – Don’t ever let your “future self” take care of your current situation

Do you ever tell yourself that it’s okay to make a bad spending decision right now because you’ll earn more money down the road? That’s a giant mistake, one you’ll almost always regret for a long, long time. Sure, your future self might have more income, but it’s also fairly likely that your future self might have less income and you’ll find yourself in a really bad situation. Even if your future self is doing well, there are probably going to be other big expenses that you’ll want to deal with at that time, like buying a house.

#4 – Focus first on building an emergency fund

If you do not have a cash emergency fund just sitting in a savings account at a local bank somewhere, this should be your number one priority. Cash is king for solving all of the problems that life throws at you. Unlike credit, cash is available in situations of credit problems or of identity theft. You can start building an emergency fund by setting up an automatic weekly or monthly transfer from your checking account to your savings, then leaving the savings alone until an emergency beckons.

#5 – Focus second on eliminating high-interest debt

If you have an emergency fund in hand, you should next focus on eliminating your high-interest debt. Set up a simple debt repayment plan by organizing your debts by interest rate, then attempt to make a double payment (or more) on whatever debt has the highest interest rate. Make that double payment every month, then when that debt is gone, add the total amount of that payment to the payment you’re making on the next debt on the list. Keep repeating until your high-interest debts are gone.

#6 – Focus third on saving for retirement

Once your high interest debts are out of the way, start saving for retirement. If you haven’t already, open up a 401(k) plan at work and start contributing to that plan. If you don’t have a 401(k) at work, set up your own Roth IRA account, which you can do through virtually any investment house (I use Vanguard). Contributing a few percent of your pay may sound painful, but it will actually end up being a much smaller burden than you expect, one that’s lifted up by the pleasure of knowing that you’re securing your retirement.

What 10 things should I do every day to become smarter?

 1 - Consume less and produce more - Stop reading random articles, go write something. Practice the 80/20 rule.

20% of your time = Consume

80% of your time = Produce

2 - Watch less TV - TV is EVIL and it kills our creativity.

3 - Go out for a walk - If you are stuck with a problem, go out for a walk. Talk to the trees, they know the answer (JK)

4 - Hang out with people who are smarter than you - Remember that quote? You are average of 5 people that you hang out with the most (something like that)

5 - Practice intentional reading - Only read something if you are looking for an answer. No more reading just because you saw something in your Facebook newsfeed.

6 - Practice your craft daily - Whatever you are good at, do more of it.

7 - Start a side hustle - See if you can generate some passive income. It’s a great way to improve your business skills.

8 - Sleep - Sleeping well is a great way to recharge and it keeps our brain sharp. (Confession - I struggle with this one all the time)

9 - Learn a new skill - Maybe a new language or pick up a new hobby.

10 - Answer questions on Quora - There are so many “hidden” benefits of this. e.g.

• You get to help others
• You get to share personal stories
• You get to produce content

Don’t wait for 40, maybe tomorrow you will die, so live right now, live in present moment.

Live Alive !

• Your value=Your confidence, build it
• Learn to negotiate with politeness
• Your life will fully depend on your decisions and your actions taken now
• Stop judging people (everyone is different)
• Learn to express. It will save your relations and career (humans can’t read mind, use words to express yourself)
• Looks does matter! carve out a solid personality and become your best
• Nobody gives a damn about your life except your parents. Accept it
• It’s high time to talk, think and read about new career options.
• Identify your passion and make it your career.(we are living in the golden period - 2017, you can make your career out of any passion)
• If you have not identified your passion then become best in whatever you are given to do
• Start reading newspaper, make it a habit.

What should one do in their 20s to avoid regrets in their 30s and 40s?

1.) HABIT OF WAKING UP EARLY

• 5:00am is the time to wake up or before sunrise , sleeping time 10:30pm.
• By doing this you can manage your time efficiently throughout the day.
• you will also have the time for strategic preparation for whole day.

2.) PRAYER

• prayer enhances the motivation toward goal .
• it doesn’t mean ,you should only pray to god.
• you could also pray for your family and goal.

3.) EXERCISE

• exercise for 15 minutes daily (calisthenics).
• i am not saying that you should do heavy gym.
• But you should do simple streching or exercise or jogging in the morning.
• Then , morning walk nearby tree hub.(because it improves your health disorders related to lack of oxygen).

4.) MEDITATION

• meditation for 20 to 30 minutes ( daily).
• If you do meditation daily ,it improves your focus .
• Improves your brain health.
• reduces depression and anxiety.
• you can do tough things very easily.

5.) QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA

• seriously if you want to achieve something great, then quit social media.
• facebook ,twitter,etc
• These sites are designed in a manner , so that it can attract the people.
• These social media sites are nothing but creates depression among our generation and hamper the path between us and goal.

LIFE SKILLS

1. Self respect above surrender.
1. We over do this. We give too much respect to others. We surrender to them. In this pursuit, we lose ourselves.
2. Start Saving and Investing.
1. Investing in ETF, mutual funds, small saving instruments, consumer derivatives will be a good start.
3. Maintain a routine.
1. Have discipline. Sit at one place which you call your workplace. Make that place your war room and your place of worship.
4. Eat healthy.
1. Have some greens, juices and fruits included in your daily routine. It will help you maintain good amount of macronutrients in your body.
5. Don’t smoke for coolness.
1. “The group effect” is common where we do some things because the group does it. It is really harmful. It strips off your individuality.

What should I start doing in my twenties so I have nothing to regret at 40?

1. Learn to say NO with confidence.
2. Start Investing.
3. Buy life insurance for yourself.
4. Expand your network.
5. Be open to criticism.
6. Excel in one skill.
7. Trust people with open eyes.
8. Set goals.
9. Take stand. Don’t be spineless.
10. Improve communication skills .
11. Take out time for reading, painting, singing, dancing, whatever your hobbies are.
12. Spend quality time with your parents/family.
13. Make efforts to stay in touch with your school and college buddies.
14. Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.
15. Let go of your grudges.
16. Learn the art of negotiation.
17. Excess of anything is always harmful. May that be food, sleep or work.
18. Let health and fitness be your first priority. Exercise or yoga for half an hour is must.
19. Drink lots of water every day.
20. Never ever ignore health issues.
21. Drink less or no alcohol. Stop smoking.
22. Make a good routine for yourself and try your best to follow it.

How the rich budget to get richer

4 Tips on Budgeting to Become Rich

Written by Robert Kiyosaki

How the rich budget to get richer

Poor dad said, “Live below your means.”

Rich dad said, “Expand your means.”

If you were to take a look at the difference between my poor dad’s budget and my rich dad’s budget, you’d understand the vast difference of mindset between the two statements above.

My poor dad’s budget focused on cutting expenses to meet his income. It was important for him to pay everyone else and then enjoy what was left—if anything.

My rich dad’s budget focused on increasing income. It was important for him to pay himself first and then taking care of his expenses. He said, “Most people use their budget as a plan to become poor or middle class rather than become rich. My budget is a plan to become rich.”

5 Steps to Becoming a Rich Woman

Written by Kim Kiyosaki

Choose your road to financial freedom wisely

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”—The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost

Often times in life, you’re faced with a fork in the road (let’s call them paths). And the topic of personal finance is no different. On Path A, you choose to take the reins and take control of your finances—the possibilities are endless and financial freedom could be yours. On Path B, you choose to sit on the sidelines and stay in the rat race—or worse, become dependent on someone else who does all your thinking for you.

So, which path are you going to choose? It doesn’t matter which path you’re on right now, because it’s never too late to switch directions. In fact, I wrote the book Rich Woman because I wanted to show women how I went from broke and homeless to financially free. I used a step-by-step approach so it would be a formula that any woman could follow. I made the decision to get off Path B and switch to Path A—I took the one less traveled by and it really has made all the difference.

But why is Path A the one less traveled by, by women? The reason many women choose Path B (whether purposefully or accidentally) is because there are dozens of excuses available to them. No matter how many opportunities arise, fear, negative people, and hopelessness can sabotage their efforts to take control of their finances.

It can be intimidating thinking about changing your current trajectory. But that shouldn’t stop you from taking your first step forward on Path A. You can begin by following the five steps below. I think you will be amazed at how quickly your financial knowledge increases and how rapidly your financial life begins to transform. And once you’re in motion, your successes will lead to more success.

1. Independence Day

   If you are dependent on your husband, a family member or the government, then you are not in control of your financial future and well-being. The first thing you have to decide is if you want to be dependent … or independent.
   If you choose to be dependent, then I suggest you keep your fingers crossed and hope and pray that there will be something there for you down the road—because if you’ve chosen to put your entire financial life, and your future, into the hands of someone else, then I would say you are the ultimate gambler. Good luck!
   

Brian Tracy/Quotes

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'

It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.

The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.

Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.

I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.

The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.

Successful people are simply those with successful habits.

People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.

You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.

Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event.

Importance of Developing Leadership Skills

What makes a good leader? The answer varies widely depending on who you ask, with researchers disagreeing on the critical components that go into the most effective corporate chief. But there are traits they do agree on, including personality components and acquired skills. Some believe even the situation for leadership itself has a bearing on the effectiveness of the leader.

Important Leadership Skills

• Commitment, resolve and perseverance - driving every aspect of the organization toward a singular unified purpose.
• Risk-taking - breaking conventions and developing new products and services to establish marketplace dominance (and possibly even create a unique market).
• Planning - though a leader typically doesn't get too involved in the details, he or she must orchestrate a high-level plan that drives everyone toward the unified goal.
• Motivating - an effective leader must be able to encourage contributions from the entire organization, navigating the specific motivators of each individual or group to push the right buttons and inspire employees at every level to achieve not only their personal best but the best for the organization as a whole.

5 Tips to Help You Meet Goals and Deadlines

Since high school (or earlier), many of us have struggled with meeting deadlines. Poor time management skills and procrastination often lead to last minute cram sessions which produce substandard work. At work, failing to meet deadlines is one of the cardinal sins that can easily get you fired. An employee who fails to be punctual and achieve deadlines is no more than a broken cog in a machine, and will be quickly replaced. How can professional procrastinators learn effective time management in order to successfully meet deadlines?

Breaking One Task Down Into Bite-Size Pieces

The lesson many of us never learn is that one large task can always be more easily accomplished in bite-size pieces over a long period of time. If you are given a project to complete in the next two weeks, the right time to get started is that very day. When you first receive a project, you should take out a calendar and find a way to break it into four or more evenly spaced parts. Don't just mark the final deadline date. Give yourself mini-deadline dates per segment and meet them, whatever the cost. Failing to meet one of your own mini-deadlines should be regarded as a failure to meet the final deadline.

How Do You Start a Business?

Those who want to start a business off on the right foot need to engage in some careful planning and then take some important legal steps in order to prepare to do business with the public.

The following sections cover the planning stage, the financing stage and the legal preparation stage that a business founder will ideally need to go though in order to start a business.

The Planning Stage

The first step to take when you want to start a business should be the preparation of a detailed business plan. This blueprint for your new business will cover how you will set up and run your business profitably, as well as what your startup costs are likely to be.

If you are new to starting businesses, then you can take a course on how to start a business properly, as well as some guidance on how to operate successfully to give yourself more information, strategies and confidence.

You then need to identify suitable business premises of appropriate size and zoning located where your potential customers can easily find you, and which is currently available for rental or purchase. Be sure to contact the landlord or owner to determine availability, whether you will qualify to buy or rent it, and the costs involved in securing it.

14 signs that you are likely to become a millionaire

Most everyone wants to become millionaire.  And according to Rich Habits research, being rich eliminates 67% of the problems that plague most people. So, besides being able to buy that house by the beach, snag a Rolex watch, or travel to exotic places, being rich means fewer problems in life. Fewer problems equal less stress. Less stress equals a healthier and happier life.

In our MONDAY MONEY column, we bring you the 14 signs of wealth, courtest of Business Insider. If you possess all 14, your chances for becoming rich increase substantially:
You are pursuing a dream or major purpose in life: Eighty percent of the self-made millionaires in my Rich Habits Study were pursuing some dream or major purpose in life.

You read to learn every day: You are a voracious reader. You read to learn every day. Often hours every day. Eighty-eight percent of the rich in the study read 30 minutes or more every day strictly to learn and educate themselves.

Six steps to creating a successful chama

There's strength in numbers, only if you get the planning and execution right.

Many self-help groups (or chamas) are created by never go far. While many disintegrate, some end up being empty talking shops. Kamuiru Group shares tips on how to create an effective self-help group.

1. Set economic standards

Every interested person must have a source of income that guarantees payment of monthly contributions. David Irungu, chairman of Kamuiru Self Help Group, says when you allow in people who do not have means, the chama will fail. A chama is first the contributions, before the investment.

2. Conduct a lifestyle audit

Well, would you trust your investments with people you don’t know? It is not enough to just know their names, find out where they come from, where they live, what they do for a living, and their spouse(s). All members of the group should have sufficient information about each other to avoid any surprises. This ensures that everyone has the same vision and mission and that no criminals disguise themselves to swindle members.

From Sh300 worker to millionaire businessman

Model self-help group (chama) is helping transform young men and women from poverty to success stories

Kamuiru Self Help Group members, led by David Irungu (second from left).

In 2002, a 20-year-old young man packed his bags and set out for Nairobi in search of greener pastures.

David Irungu ended up finding a job at Nairobi’s Kariokor area as waiter at an eatery for less than Ksh300 day. Years later, he owns property in Nairobi and bought the eatery he had worked for.

Irungu is one of the success stories of self-help groups, which are churning out millionaires in Kenya.

“I was a waiter here (at my now hotel) for over six years. At some point in 2010 I started a small side business of roasting meat just outside the hotel. Then in 2012 I met a friend, Nancy Wairimu, who asked me to join their chama so I can save up some money and later invest in starting my own business,” says Irungu.