ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Humanities and Social Sciences
Mapping the flow of broiler day old chicks in Kenya
Provisionally accepted
- 1International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
- 2Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
- 3Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, North West England, United Kingdom
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Poultry production is a significant contributor to economic growth and food security in Kenya. Reliable information on day-old chicks (DOC) production and distribution is essential for formulating effective policies related to poultry production and animal health delivery.Here, we describe the commercial broiler DOC production, distribution, and animal health and antibiotic use practices. Data were collected through focus group discussions, individual interviews, and key informant interviews. A total of three producers, 128 distributors, two government regulatory bodies, one poultry association and 128 farmers were interviewed.Throughout the DOC production pyramid, animal health practices varied, with biosecurity management higher in parent stock than commercial stock production facilities. Distribution of DOC involved either vertically integrated systems for large commercial broiler farms owned by the commercial stock producers or contracted farms, or horizontal systems with numerous small-scale distributors. Veterinary drug stores were the main distributors (96%) of commercial stock DOC to farmers. Veterinary authorities were regularly audited parent stock and commercial stock hatcheries to ensure compliance with biosecurity and animal welfare guidelines. Poor animal welfare practices and inappropriate recommendation of antibiotics to farmers during collection of DOC was noted at the distribution level. Our findings can inform policies on biosecurity, distribution, and animal health practices along the distribution channel of DOC. Issues like transportation stress, poor biosecurity, and inappropriate antibiotic recommendations can compromise DOC health, which consequently results to a higher antibiotic use on farms. Addressing these issues can improve the overall quality of DOC delivered on farms, reduce reliance on antibiotics, and promote sustainable farming practices that contribute to food security and public health in the country.
Keywords: broiler, day-old chick, Breeding, Antibiotic use, value chain
Received: 08 Apr 2025; Accepted: 03 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ibayi, Nyambura, Guyo, Moodley and Muloi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Dishon Mutemwa Muloi, d.muloi@cgiar.org
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