Mature Sasso chickens for meat ready for sell. Photo from Internet
By Arnest Tumwesige
LUWEERO: In Luwero District, progressive farmers are increasingly turning to poultry farming as a reliable source of income, taking calculated risks to tap into the growing demand for chicken.
One such farmer is David Joel Ntale, based in Bamunanika Sub County, who has carved a niche in rearing hybrid chickens specifically broilers and Sasso.
Ntale sources his broilers and poultry feeds from SR Afro Chicks, while his Sasso chicks come from Uzima Chicken, located in Bukoto, Kampala. The company has its headquarters in Mbarara and its African headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Ntale typically rears the birds for one month before selling them. While many farmers fear brooding chicks due to the risks involved, Ntale saw it as an opportunity.
For instance, he buys broiler chicks at between UGX 3,200 and UGX 3,300 and sells them after a month at UGX 12,000 each. For Sasso chicks from Uzima, he buys each at UGX 3,000 and sells them at UGX 9,000.
However, Ntale explains that prices often fluctuate depending on the cost of concentrates used in feeding the birds.
“For broilers, I only rear them when there is an order. But I often take a break of one weak and restock again. So, the same customers would bought from me, come back to restock. Therefore, I have a recurrent number of customers who take between 50, 100 and 200. The same applies to Sasso, which I started rearing during the outbreak of COVID-19,” he explained.
“When I bring chicks, there’s always on order. Sometimes I bring 1,500 broilers, and for Sasso I always bring 1,800. But from August, which is the peak season for Christmas, there is no limit. I can even bring 3,000 Sasso, and the same for broilers,” he told GLNA.
Maintaining Quality in Poultry Production
Ntale prefers buying Sasso chicks from Uzima because of the high quality of Hybrid 1 breeds.
He however decried some individuals who tend to use Hybrid 1 birds as parent stock to produce Hybrid 2 chicks, which tend to grow more slowly.
Ntale recalled an incident where farmers who used by from him were lured into buying chicks at UGX 1,200 from such individuals, only to later discover that the birds could not grow at the expected rate, leaving farmers counting losses.
He also warns about adulterated feeds in the market where fake dealers print their own packaging and sell mixed concentrates of questionable quality. When chicks feed on such adulterated feeds, their growth is significantly affected even after five weeks.
Drawing from 17 years of experience, the 67-year-old farmer now mixes his own feeds using formulas written on concentrate packages bought from the known genuine dealers. Fortunately, he says he has never purchased adulterated concentrates.
His experience also helps him manage diseases on the farm with many in the neighborhood referring him to a veterinary doctor, although he still seeks guidance from veterinary doctors when dealing with complicated cases.
Capital Needed to Revive Lucrative Layer Farming
About five years ago, Ntale was also involved in rearing layers for egg production. However, he experienced a major setback when about 780 birds suddenly stopped laying eggs after only five months.
The situation left him shocked. “It was very hard to sell them off because buyers prefer layers that have matured to about one year,” he explained.
Despite the setback, Ntale plans to reintroduce layers on his farm next year, citing the steady income associated with egg production.
“When layers do well, the income is fixed. You know how much you will earn every month. For example, if you have 2,000 layers, you can collect about 50 trays of eggs daily. At the end of the month, the income can reach about UGX 4 million, excluding expenditure. But the challenge is capital,” he noted.
Farmers Face Veterinary and Feed Challenges
Another farmer, Moses Ssekiyembe, from Buuga village in Bamunanika Sub County, keeps 500 birds, although his farm has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,700 birds during peak seasons.
Ssekiyembe purchases concentrates from trusted suppliers in Kampala depending on stock availability. However, he says financial constraints sometimes limit his ability to buy enough feeds for the birds, affecting their growth.
“With financial support, we would be able to meet the demand and feed the chicks properly,” he said.
With 10 years of experience, Ssekiyembe’s mixed farm still faces challenges particularly limited access to veterinary services.
He recently suffered a major loss when Marek’s and Gumboro diseases struck his farm at the beginning of March 2026, killing about 200 chicks.
Ssekiyembe suspects the problem may have originated from the supplier, who might not have vaccinated the chicks before delivery.
He believes government intervention could help address such challenges.
“If the government could employ and equip a technical person to regularly visit farmers like us, it would greatly reduce mortality,” he said.
Currently, Ssekiyembe spends about UGX 50,000 every time he hires a veterinary doctor.
“I used to buy my chicks from Ken Chick in Kampala, but they left. The new operators told me they source chicks from Tanzania, and the last stock was from Turkey, although the quality was good,” the 59-year-old farmer explained.
Despite the challenges, Ssekiyembe says poultry farming remains a rewarding business.
“It is a very good and lovely business, but it requires constant attention and guidance from technical experts for it to thrive,” he said.
