In a three-acre farm located in Iviani area, near Kangundo Road, Machakos County, Stephen Mutuku is making a living through diversified farming, raising rabbits, chickens, and sheep.
“I started rabbit farming three years ago,” says Stephen Mutuku, 42, who also cultivates various crops such as papayas, mangoes, corn, and guavas.
The farmer has over 300 chickens and sells eggs at a price of Sh10 each
“He raises indigenous chickens and collects more than 50 eggs in a single day from the laying hens.
“Our farm is three acres, but we only use a small portion of it to raise chickens and rabbits,” the farmer points out.
The coops he uses to raise chickens are constructed with wood and iron sheets.
The farmer, along with his wife, Pauline Ndunge, has been collaborating on various farming activities. However, he emphasizes that his wife is the one who primarily takes care of the indigenous chickens.
The farmer mentions that he feeds his rabbits with a specific type of hay. Due to the variety of grass and plants in the area, Mutuku gathers leaves from different plants to feed his rabbits.
Additionally, he explains that they create feed to nourish their chickens, allowing them to roam freely to find additional food in the farm.
Mutuku raises various rabbit breeds, including Californian White, New Zealand White, Chinchilla, and Flemish Giant.
“We sell these rabbits for between Sh800 to Sh1,500. The prices depend on their gender, age, and weight,” says the farmer, who also slaughters rabbits based on orders from some of his customers.
Furthermore, they sell their chickens at different prices, considering factors such as gender, age, weight, among others, when selling them. The farmer mentions that they sell chicks starting from Sh100, especially for customers intending to raise them. Additionally, mature chickens are sold starting from Sh300.
Moreover, they raise Dorper sheep, allowing them to graze on grass and other plants in the farm. He adds that they sell sheep starting from Sh5,000, depending on their age and size.
He states that in the future, he plans to expand his farming activities, aiming to have more rabbits, chickens, and sheep to increase his income.
Mutuku also highlights that they use the manure from their livestock to fertilize various crops in the farm.