By Victoria Nampala Bugembe
Chicken rearing is one of the common farming practices and unfortunately, apart from eggs and meat, farmers are used to getting nothing else from chicken.
John Bosco Malinzi, an Agronomist at Tabula Demonstration farm Nakawuka says there are many other products one can get directly from pouty farming.
One can add value to meat, eggs, feathers, and other parts with poultry.
Malinzi adds that adding value to chicken products like meat and eggs increases their shelf lifespan in general, increases the convenience to consumers and mitigates losses.
Eggs
Add value to the eggs by breaking them. The liquid is filtrated, mixed, stabilized, and finally blended. It is then pasteurized to ensure pathogens are killed before being cooled into the liquid form.
A farmer can then opt to dry it into powder form or freeze it.
Henry Bukenya, a Chief Executive Officer of the Baking Academy and Cake Studio adds that egg powder can last up to four years. it is also easy to use thereafter since one only needs to mix it with water.
“In the bakery world, bakers are increasingly embracing the use of powdered eggs in their trade,” says Bukenya.
By-products
They may include intestines, heads, and legs which are a source of food for pets like cats and Dogs.
Katherine Kwizera, an interior designer adds that chicken feathers can be dried and sold off to make pillows and cushions.
Chicken droppings are a source of manure. Malinzi adds that, apart from manure in the garden, chicken droppings can be fried traditionally and dried, later mixed with less maize brand, and served to pigs as food.
Chicken meat parts
Of late, many chicken selling points are selling whole chicken and all its parts in different quantities at relatively fair prices.
This gives clients a choice to order their Favorite chicken parts conveniently. The parts include gizzards, drumsticks, necks, thighs, wings, and breasts.
Marinated chicken parts
Marinated chicken parts have increasingly become popular in Kampala with local and international markets. Marinated chicken is juicy with an aromatic taste and saves time during preparation.
Boneless chicken products
Boneless chicken is popular among the corporates. The bones can be packaged alone for people who love soup dishes or food for pets.
Kasule Maureen, a businesswoman dealing in the chicken business at Nakawa market says many businesses make quick profits out of chicken.
Hatchery
Instead of buying chicks from other chicken dealers, it’s high time one thinks of starting a hatchery as it is also a lucrative business.
It involves selling day-old chicks, eggs, and training for the community at a given fee.
Poultry parks
Establishing a poultry park is another business where a person can rear ducks, turkeys, layers, and broilers and have families, and schools pay to come and visit the poultry park for tourism-related and study purposes.