Jasper Okello, a 50-year-old man, narrated to our reporter how he earns 1.5 million shillings within a month through poultry keeping. Speaking to our reporter in an interview from his poultry farm, he advised the youth not to rely on begging but to work hard and succeed. Okello resides in Anai Ober cell, Anai ward, Lira City West Division, Lira City in Lango sub-region.
He took our reporter around his hatchery and a locally made incubator, which uses a regulator that switches off the bulb automatically to regulate temperature suitable for hatching about 900-1000 eggs within the incubation period of 21 days.
“My minimum cash collection monthly is 1.5 million shillings from the hatchery because I charge 1000 shillings per egg to people who bring their eggs to hatch,” said Jasper.
In his poultry farm, he has 80 parent stocks of matured ready chickens, though he started with 20 chickens in 2018. The project is now six years old. He operates on a piece of land measuring 11 meters by 24 meters for poultry keeping, including rabbit keeping and piggery.
“I am managing the medication of the chicken myself using traditional herbs around the environment for treatment of his poultry to fight diseases like coccidiosis, Newcastle, among others,” added Jasper.
On a daily basis, he collects two trays of eggs and loads 600 eggs with a high hatchability. The feeds of the chicken consist of six different aspects, including calcium, protein, fats, vitamins, carbohydrates, and salts.
Vision:
He hopes to do research to ensure that the indigenous local breed of chicken in Lango sub-region grows and matures within a period of four months. He also wants to build a resource center where he can employ the youth within one year and conduct his own research to improve the poultry which are indigenous in nature.
Innovation:
He has used an old freezer to be an incubator, controlling moderate temperature using a solar battery and moderate amps.
In conclusion, Jasper has challenged the educated by improvising a hatchery and now earning his minimum self-paid salary of over 1.5 million shillings monthly. He sells the young chicks at 3,000 shillings and also sells the parent stock ranging from between 30,000-40,000 shillings on a daily basis. Besides, he is appealing to the people of Uganda not to only think of PDM, Ministry of Agriculture assistance, or government programs only but to be innovative and creative enough, just like him.
Success:
He is looking forward to recruiting three people to help him in his poultry farm, opening a resource center, and challenges the educated as a P7 dropout who has succeeded in life.
