Thursday, 26 April 2012
Alibaba and my new batch
Ok, then,. So last time I blogged about alibaba I mentioned I got some goof quality stuff but not what I really wanted. Well, my three at a time companies worked out. I have now received some more samples and they are just what iwas looking for, plus it is much cheaper. Lesson learnt always e on the look.
Plus DHL delivers door to door, not something new if you are in the western world but I love this for Kenya. So 20. Lighter and have now found what am looking for. The good thing is that I will not need to get more samples. So not money wasted, but then again it costs 15k a night on baharu beach a night.
So of the 110k flight only to china, hypothetically I still have 90 k so let's try make that order and see if we receive it.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Where to sell your chickens in Nairobi?
If you have started rearing or thinking of starting rearing chicken, the most important question is where do you sell your birds and for how much?
For most, this is a daunting aspect that can make or break your business plan. The bottom line is that People in Nairobi and other Kenyan urban areas do not farm and they somehow have to buy all the meat they need. The market is there, it is just not streamlined and you might need to think outside the box to actually get access to it. Dont be afraid to join forces with other farmers who are in the same dilema about the market.
I have done some sketchy observations on the chicken meat/live bird distribution in Nairobi. Nairobi because this is where the biggest market is, you will find that most of the rural dwellers do actually have a few birds which they keep for their happy occassions.
First, the road side sellers are a good supply chain.
Secondly, if you live near Nairobi, for instance Thika or Kiambu dont be afraid to approach Hotels and offer them free delivery. They will need you to supply a sample before they can order
Thirdly, approach butcheries, they might be willing to stock chicken if you can deliver on a regular basis as per their needs. Whilst one butcher might only be willing to buy 10 chickens a day, 10 butchers on the same area each buying 10 chicken a day amounts to 700 chickens a week. If you are aiming to sell chicken on a regular basis, you would need to reflect this on your growth cycle. For instant if you make one delivery a week of 100 birds, you should be have approx 120 day old chicks every week to ensure the continuity of the supply.
A day old chick from Muguku goes for 78 shilling and 80 shillling for the Kenchick type - these mature in 5-6 weeks. They weigh around 1.2 - 1.8 kgs when slaughtered depending on the feeding
The dorep and Kenbro type mature at 6-8 weeks and can weigh up to 5 kilos depending on how you feed them. One day old chick goes for 90 shillings and if you dont get a market at 2 months you can grow them to layers. They would start laying at 5 months if well fed. They lay until they are 18 months old when ideally you would sell them for meat.
For most, this is a daunting aspect that can make or break your business plan. The bottom line is that People in Nairobi and other Kenyan urban areas do not farm and they somehow have to buy all the meat they need. The market is there, it is just not streamlined and you might need to think outside the box to actually get access to it. Dont be afraid to join forces with other farmers who are in the same dilema about the market.
I have done some sketchy observations on the chicken meat/live bird distribution in Nairobi. Nairobi because this is where the biggest market is, you will find that most of the rural dwellers do actually have a few birds which they keep for their happy occassions.
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| Chicken Business! Source - Internet! |
First, the road side sellers are a good supply chain.
Secondly, if you live near Nairobi, for instance Thika or Kiambu dont be afraid to approach Hotels and offer them free delivery. They will need you to supply a sample before they can order
Thirdly, approach butcheries, they might be willing to stock chicken if you can deliver on a regular basis as per their needs. Whilst one butcher might only be willing to buy 10 chickens a day, 10 butchers on the same area each buying 10 chicken a day amounts to 700 chickens a week. If you are aiming to sell chicken on a regular basis, you would need to reflect this on your growth cycle. For instant if you make one delivery a week of 100 birds, you should be have approx 120 day old chicks every week to ensure the continuity of the supply.
A day old chick from Muguku goes for 78 shilling and 80 shillling for the Kenchick type - these mature in 5-6 weeks. They weigh around 1.2 - 1.8 kgs when slaughtered depending on the feeding
The dorep and Kenbro type mature at 6-8 weeks and can weigh up to 5 kilos depending on how you feed them. One day old chick goes for 90 shillings and if you dont get a market at 2 months you can grow them to layers. They would start laying at 5 months if well fed. They lay until they are 18 months old when ideally you would sell them for meat.
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Www.alibaba.com .......and small wholesale shoppers!
In the last couple weeks. Have been lookin to start a business of kando by selling stuff online and door to door.... The first thing that came to mind is where are the wholesalers,,,,,, don't know about you but as in Kenya, there are not many wholesalers with a wide selection and range of goods....plus as they all mostly ge imported stuff the prices are already inflated at this point.
I sometime back blogged about air fair, well to get to china you need to uses one. A two way ticket to china is 110,000 shillings at the best....on top of tha you need your hotel and taxi charges when over there and food.....let's say on the cheap the entire trip would set u back at least 150'000 shillings. If you are as small as me, this is more than good enough money to start a business on full time or else.......I just need to get the good to me without flying there....the solution is alibaba
Yesterday. Received my first sample, I only paid 5k for the DHL shipping and the sample was free......the sample was not what I had described to these guys and was shocked at he quality.....the quality was very good,.......going off what I see on the streets I didn't think that china made such good quality stuff although I have read they are the worlds biggest producers.....anyway the wrong item, high quality and have only wasted 5k instead. This is a small price to pay as opposed to having ordered the whole lot and discover I is the wrong stuff
The guys have now agreed to send me another lot of wha I hope and the think is what I want from them, only this time I got another 3 companies sending me the stuff as well.......I know it is daunting but if you can try talk to more thatn 3 suppliers at a go and then choose the best.....
What I like about these suppliers is their flexibility, if the don't produce something they are willing to do it for u if you send a sample and specifications.
Anyway, there are my experiences shared!
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Business of Real Estate
For a majority of people real estate is owning a place to live in, a home.
With Plots going for 0.5m in Nyahururu and 0.6m in Nakuru (Kenyas first growing town), then you dont need to start of in Nairobi. The rents are pretty decent in these locations as well. For a similar house in Nairobi in Kasarani that goes for 15k you can fetch 8k and 12k in Nyahururu and Nakuru.
However for the few ( excluding me) this is a business just like any other. They buy plots hold and sell once value go up. In Nairobi the price of plots is always on an upward trend. At the moment a 1/8 plot in Kasarani is going for 5m shillings; this is all thanks to Thika Road. Rent in such an area ranges from 10k - 20k depending on number of bedrooms and the finishing quality of the flats.
The agency business is on the up but household insurances look vague at the best. I have seen a cover for 11k and i dont know if this is for contents only or for brick and mortar? I mean if the bulglars come and still all my Mutumba, do I stand to get the same amount as those with flat screen tv, fridges etc......? Am sure the ambiguity of it is for the insurers benefit.
I have seen a 1/4 acre plot with 20 units - i.e. 15k *20 = 300,000 a month, even after payng the mortgage this is still a decent return.
The other common business with real estate is thebuilders. I once saw a empty plot being rented out to those adjacent to him/her when building. This is all because of the culture of building a 100% of the plot. The guy builds the entire plot and there is thus no place to park vehicles by the tennants. The road sides are still spacious but if the trend of buying cars continues in Kenya as it is then this will eventually create a problem as all the flat tennants will not have a space to park their car - point to consider when building.
The middle class is on the up and to be able to move with the middleclass, the real estate owners need to bear the future in mind. Providing a designated parking space will up the rents in the future. Ignoring this at this moment might not have an effect but it sure will affect how much you can charge per flat if you dont have the parking space available. It also begs the question where are the city planners in all this?
With Plots going for 0.5m in Nyahururu and 0.6m in Nakuru (Kenyas first growing town), then you dont need to start of in Nairobi. The rents are pretty decent in these locations as well. For a similar house in Nairobi in Kasarani that goes for 15k you can fetch 8k and 12k in Nyahururu and Nakuru.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
how many eggs does a DOREP/KENBRO layer lay?
For a normal chicken (Meeting the criteria below), it lays eggs from age of 5 months to age of 18 months. This applies to most commercial breeds as well as Kenbro and Dorep chicken. In line with number of eggs laid also comes the number of eggs eaten by the hens/ducks/geese. The birds eat eggs due to lack of minerals and you would need to suppliment to ensure the number of eggs on your egg trays add up.
The criteria
- good breed, not inbreed (meaning that there is no incest in the blood line). If you hatch your own hens remember to constantly change the cocks.
- well fed, Calcium and minerals affect the growth and laying capability of chicken. so dont just give it maize and think it will lay egg. This is why some farmers crash egg shells and feed them to the hens. If using commercial feeds, remember to provide your hens with peckers - for instance cabbages, maize on corn as this will also prevent cannibalism.
- stress free . Ensure that your hens are not stressed. There should be no attacks from dogs, foxes, and other preditors. This is also a basis for free range farming.
- Use a booster only if you have to, clearly you need to avoid this as it messes up with the natural operations of the hen reproductive system.
- make sure your chicken are well medicated, dont over do it and follow the instructions given.
On average chicken will feed on 150g a day, but ideally there must always be feeds in the trays for them to feed on
Another important factor is the number of hours the hens have access to light. The typical hours recommended are 14 hours - you thus would need to provide lighting for an extra 2 hours a day to optimise egg production.
Remember to watch your animals carefully, for instance if there are hens dozing off, it means that they are ill. You also need to ensure that the hens cages are clean as droppings do form a breeding ground for coccidiosis which will also affect egg laying
Hens do have a molting season where they dont lay eggs at all - they arent like people - they do run out of eggs and their bodies needs to restart the process again - this is when a Kienyeji is sitting on its eggs to hatch ( she doesnt lay eggs at the same time remember!)
Happy farming
The criteria
- good breed, not inbreed (meaning that there is no incest in the blood line). If you hatch your own hens remember to constantly change the cocks.
- well fed, Calcium and minerals affect the growth and laying capability of chicken. so dont just give it maize and think it will lay egg. This is why some farmers crash egg shells and feed them to the hens. If using commercial feeds, remember to provide your hens with peckers - for instance cabbages, maize on corn as this will also prevent cannibalism.
- stress free . Ensure that your hens are not stressed. There should be no attacks from dogs, foxes, and other preditors. This is also a basis for free range farming.
- Use a booster only if you have to, clearly you need to avoid this as it messes up with the natural operations of the hen reproductive system.
- make sure your chicken are well medicated, dont over do it and follow the instructions given.
On average chicken will feed on 150g a day, but ideally there must always be feeds in the trays for them to feed on
Another important factor is the number of hours the hens have access to light. The typical hours recommended are 14 hours - you thus would need to provide lighting for an extra 2 hours a day to optimise egg production.
Remember to watch your animals carefully, for instance if there are hens dozing off, it means that they are ill. You also need to ensure that the hens cages are clean as droppings do form a breeding ground for coccidiosis which will also affect egg laying
Hens do have a molting season where they dont lay eggs at all - they arent like people - they do run out of eggs and their bodies needs to restart the process again - this is when a Kienyeji is sitting on its eggs to hatch ( she doesnt lay eggs at the same time remember!)
Happy farming
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Sheep rearing for meat
As promised last week here is a 'business plan' for a seasonal sheep rearing business.
Step 1
Buy and safely store adequate amount of hay during hay harvest season. In Kenya this is around December time. Luckily (for this business anyway), in Kenya during harvest season the commodities under harvest are cheap than any other period for most of the time. Buy an adequate amount of hay to feed the intended number of animals. An average goat eats 5 kilos a day so for 20 goats held for 2 weeks you would need 1,400 kilos. Am not sure how many kilos a hay bale weighs but i know in the low season if you look carefully and stay away from the middle men you can get one for 80 shillings.
Commercial feeds will also be more expensive in this period than in the harvest season, so if you intend to supliment with commercial feeds make sure you stock up with this. Keep a cat if you have to keep them rats away from your feeds. In drought season a 70 kilo bag of polland ( A mix of various grain husks) go for as much as 3k; bran is also good for fattening.
Step 2
Buy your animal stock in the drought season.
Please dont first buy your animals then buy the hay. First secure the hay then wait for drought. The drought season is usually around January. Give it a month or so and then buy the animals when they are weak and most farmers are selling cheap either due to lack of feeds or to secure school fees for their children. Ideally by this stage you should have some good structures to secure your animals. Please note that there is a lot of wizi wa kuku and mbuzi etc...so you might need a watchman and a dog. You dont need a lot of space because you arent growing your own fodder. You will need a good secure storage facility though.
During a 'good' drought the animals go for as low as 1k in the arid areas. You will need to venture out. Also note some of the areas like Nandi just dont know mpesa and have no interest in banking either. So you might want to use a middle man if you think you will loose your money in transit.
Step 3.
Feed the animals.
As hay is dry it is rich in starch and thus good for bulking up the animals. If you suppliment with the commercial feeds your animals will be ready for the butcher in a month or 2 at most. A kilo of meat mutton goes for 480 shillings in the butcher in the good times. A good sheep/goat can weigh up to 15 kilos. With a good realiable butcher friend, you can rake in some good money.
Step 4
Market your animals for butcher
Stay away from the middlemen if you can. It does help if you do have friends who own butcheries as then you can arrange to supply a number of animals on a daily or weekly basis.
Step 5
Pay taxes if you wish to!
The timeline
December - buy hay at Ksh 80 a bale and store. secure housing for the animals.
January - Feb - buy animals at throw away prices from arid areas - de worm and give appropriate medication
Easter time - sell the meat to butchers ( sell at least 5k)
Repeat next season!
Step 1
Buy and safely store adequate amount of hay during hay harvest season. In Kenya this is around December time. Luckily (for this business anyway), in Kenya during harvest season the commodities under harvest are cheap than any other period for most of the time. Buy an adequate amount of hay to feed the intended number of animals. An average goat eats 5 kilos a day so for 20 goats held for 2 weeks you would need 1,400 kilos. Am not sure how many kilos a hay bale weighs but i know in the low season if you look carefully and stay away from the middle men you can get one for 80 shillings.
Commercial feeds will also be more expensive in this period than in the harvest season, so if you intend to supliment with commercial feeds make sure you stock up with this. Keep a cat if you have to keep them rats away from your feeds. In drought season a 70 kilo bag of polland ( A mix of various grain husks) go for as much as 3k; bran is also good for fattening.
Step 2
Buy your animal stock in the drought season.
Please dont first buy your animals then buy the hay. First secure the hay then wait for drought. The drought season is usually around January. Give it a month or so and then buy the animals when they are weak and most farmers are selling cheap either due to lack of feeds or to secure school fees for their children. Ideally by this stage you should have some good structures to secure your animals. Please note that there is a lot of wizi wa kuku and mbuzi etc...so you might need a watchman and a dog. You dont need a lot of space because you arent growing your own fodder. You will need a good secure storage facility though.
During a 'good' drought the animals go for as low as 1k in the arid areas. You will need to venture out. Also note some of the areas like Nandi just dont know mpesa and have no interest in banking either. So you might want to use a middle man if you think you will loose your money in transit.
Step 3.
Feed the animals.
As hay is dry it is rich in starch and thus good for bulking up the animals. If you suppliment with the commercial feeds your animals will be ready for the butcher in a month or 2 at most. A kilo of meat mutton goes for 480 shillings in the butcher in the good times. A good sheep/goat can weigh up to 15 kilos. With a good realiable butcher friend, you can rake in some good money.
Step 4
Market your animals for butcher
Stay away from the middlemen if you can. It does help if you do have friends who own butcheries as then you can arrange to supply a number of animals on a daily or weekly basis.
Step 5
Pay taxes if you wish to!
The timeline
December - buy hay at Ksh 80 a bale and store. secure housing for the animals.
January - Feb - buy animals at throw away prices from arid areas - de worm and give appropriate medication
Easter time - sell the meat to butchers ( sell at least 5k)
Repeat next season!
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