A Mombasa County farmer, who had no electricity by the time he entered into poultry agribusiness, is supplying chicks to others after buying a cheap and easy to maintain kerosene powered incubator of 100 eggs capacity.
David Karisa has maintained the kerosene incubator even after getting power connection after finding it more reliable in cases of back-outs.
The more than two years’ experience he has had in the industry has made him achieve high hatching percentages, matching electric and solar powered incubators.
“A kerosene incubator does not require a lot of running and maintenance costs. For the 100 eggs that I place in the incubator, I get between 88 and 95 chicks. It is not much of a difference from electric or solar powered hatching. It cost me Sh15,000,” the farmer said.
He has two incubators, which use 20 litres of kerosene for the 21 days.
The incubator has an external affixed lantern whose top-most part is connected to a chimney that directs heat into the sealed wooden chamber.
The chamber has a window that a farmer uses to set the eggs on the trays and monitoring other conditions necessary for hatching.
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The Kisauni-based farmer said although it does not rain always, when it does so, back-out are ‘severe’. Outages can run from hours to days because of the flooding, which hampers re-connections.
He supplies chicks of varied ages starting with day old to mature chickens ready for meat or laying.
He has 120 Kari Improved, 60 Dorep, 50 Kuroilers and 65 mixtures, which he supplies according to orders from within the county.
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He sells between 360 and 400 chicks and chickens per month.
“An incubator alone cannot give more than 85 per cent results. The cock to hens ration must be proper to ensure that eggs are fertilised. My ratio is one cock to seven hens,” he said.
Occasionally, he receives orders from farmers and because of the reliability of the incubator, Karisa meets such orders with ease.
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Karisa’s business is set up at Kisauni, Kiembeni Village.
For chicks and chicken supplies, Karisa can be reached on He can be reached on +254725328616.
The incubator is available at the ATDC Mtwapa- on+254722764503- or any other Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organisation.
PHOTO: A man admires a kerosene incubator at the Mombasa International Agricultural Society of Kenya Show on September 3, 2016. The incubator has helped Kisauni farmer deliver chicks without electricity. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.