Kuroiler Keeping Project
Kuroiler is a poultry breed from India known for its tasty meat in addition to its productivity and ability to survive in situations typical to any developing country like Uganda.
In a bid to increase members’ savings, UHOCU trained and supported PHCS a number of projects through which rearing Kuroiler chicken was introduced to its members. The breed is better performing than the local ones and yet is easily adapted to the local conditions. This is a best practice from three PHCS Nnongo, Kabizzi Wankwale and Kidokolo Twezimbe Housing Cooperative Societies who in the context of the efforts to boost savings for housing, they adopted Kuroiler chicken which has promoted as a higher yielding breed that is suited to the local conditions. This translates into more income from the sale of meat and eggs.
They can survive under the same conditions just like the indigenous one. But importantly their productivity is much higher compared to a local chicken.
Grow faster
According to the experts Kuroiler chicken can live perfectly under what is described as “scavenging circumstances” and they also grow faster.However, they would need vaccination and de-worming for specific diseases.
While it can thrive in such situations, it is not encumbered by low productivity. It produces about 150 eggs in a year as opposed to the indigenous one, which does about 40 eggs in the same period.
The maturity period is about 10 weeks compared to the local breed that not only takes several months, but in some instances, even up to a year. At maturity, the chicken weighs about 3.5kg, making it a better broiler compared to the local breeds that normally weighs 2-2.5kg.
Significant boost
What is in it for PHCS members is the business opportunity that, like any other entrepreneur, they want to make the most of. “It is all about the profit at the end of the day. members said, stressing that, “they would sell their local chicken at not less than Shs20,000 but the Kuroiler, which lays frequently can now fetch them about shs30,000.”The price for a tray of eggs also varies. Whereas eggs from indigenous breeds cost no more than Shs15,000, the ones from Kuroiler chicken are likely to fetch almost double the price.
