It was one of those cold mornings that make you hug your jacket tighter. Niss woke up refreshed. She’d slept deeply, peacefully. Nothing special had happened, but she felt calm inside — ready for another day on her layer poultry farm.
She went to her storage room to measure feed for her 22-week-old layer chickens. The morning was quiet.Too quiet.
Even as she neared the chicken house, not a single cluck or flutter broke the silence.
> “They must have slept well… just like me,” Niss thought with a smile.
But her smile faded. Her birds were never this quiet during feeding time. Her heart began to race.
A Silent Chicken House
After disinfecting her shoes, she opened the door…..
and froze.
Inside, her chickens lay still on the litter. Not one moved. Not one made a sound.
She felt dizzy. Her chest tightened. She reached for one bird — cold. Another — the same. All gone.
623 layer chickens. Silent. Dead.
Tears rolled down her face. She had done everything right — all vaccines, feeding schedules, and hygiene routines. There hadn’t been any sign of a disease outbreak nearby.
When Everything You Did Right Still Fails
Niss called the vet, her voice shaking. He arrived quickly, calm but serious. > “Did you notice any signs of disease?” he asked.
“No,” Niss said. “They were fine last night. Though they didn’t finish their feed… and one bird looked sleepy, but it woke up.”
The vet took a few samples for postmortem testing and left her with words she would never forget.
Lessons No One Talks About
One day your chicken might all die. Not because you did something wrong, but because it just happens sometimes. You have to be ready so you don’t give up.
âś… Diseases still attack even when birds are vaccinated.
✅ Vaccines are not 100% effective — always watch your flock closely.
âś… Isolate any sick-looking bird and call a poultry vet immediately.
âś… Never eat dead birds — you don’t know what killed them. It’s not safe for you.
âś… Sometimes, even when you do everything right, bad things just happen.
That day broke Niss’s heart. But it also reminded her that farming isn’t just about feed and vaccines. It’s about expecting for the worst and being ready, patience, discipline, and resilience.
Because sometimes, you can do everything right… and still lose. What matters is what you do next.
đź’¬ Your Turn
Have you ever lost birds suddenly on your farm? Share your experience in the comments — your story might help another poultry farmer avoid the same pain.
👉 Get a Free copy of my Layer Poultry Farming Guide and regular Layer Chicken Digest Tips here👇🏿
Niss had just sold off her first batch of ex-layers. It had been a successful run — her birds maintained an impressive 80% laying rate the entire period. For a first-time farmer, that was nothing short of amazing.
Now, she was taking a one-month break before bringing in her next batch. The chicken house needed time to dry after disinfection — an essential step to prevent disease transmission to new chicks.
But that also meant no income for a whole month.
She didn’t have enough savings to build another chicken house. And for a moment, she wondered, What will I do now?
Voices In The Dark
That night, around midnight, Niss was woken by faint voices outside her house. A woman’s voice. It sounded like she was talking to herself. “Is that the village witch?” Niss thought, half terrified.
She sprang out of bed and crept toward the door. As she reached the hallway, the voices grew louder — but now there were two people.
Her heart pounded hard, pumping litres of blood to her legs, ready to sprint for her still-short dear life.
Then it hit her. Wait. That’s coming from my daughters’ room.
She froze. Are they—? She didn’t want to finish that thought.
Listening closer, she realized the voices were indeed her two daughters.
When she asked why they were awake at midnight, their answer confused her even more. Something about a “masterclass” and “techniques” and “digital something.”
Niss didn’t get it — not that night. She went back to bed, uneasy but curious.
The Morning Revelation
By morning, after another round of questioning, she finally understood: Her daughters had been attending an online masterclass on professional knitting.
That surprised her — but it also sparked a thought. What if I did the same?
What if she taught others what she already knew so well — layer poultry farming?
She had seen people online making money teaching what they knew. Some even lived lavishly — nice cars, big houses, flashy lifestyles.
Before she could dream too far, her daughters interrupted her thoughts. > “Mama, stop there,” they said. “That internet life is a lie. But you can make money from YouTube — not to buy a sports car, but enough to cover slow months like this.”
That was all Niss needed to hear.
“Then show me how,” she said eagerly. “I want to start right now!”
Her daughters laughed.
> “Chill, Mama. Take it slow. Remember how you prepared before starting your layer farm? That’s what you need to do for this too.”
They were right.
Before she started her poultry business, Niss had done months of research — visiting farms, asking questions, taking notes. Skipping that process now would be against her own rules.
She had to learn again — this time, about content creation and online education.
The Turning Point
That morning, Niss made up her mind. She would teach poultry farming online, just like she raised her chicks — step by step, carefully, consistently.
She would share her knowledge through videos, blog posts, and stories that help other farmers grow.
Maybe it would work. Maybe it wouldn’t. But she was determined to earn that extra income — while teaching others the craft she loved.
Why Don’t You Try It?
If you’re a farmer, you probably have mountains of knowledge and experience others would love to learn from.
And sometimes, there are slow months — when you’re between flocks, waiting for the next batch, or the market is just quiet.
That’s when creating content can become your second source of income. You teach, you inspire, and you make a little extra money — all while building your farm into a loveable, trusted brand.
So why not try it yourself? Start small. Start real. And remember, every great farm — and every great brand — starts with a single story.
Get a Free copy of my Beginner Layer Poultry Farming Guide here.
“Yes, that’s true,” Niss said confidently. “I spend crazy amounts of money on feed.”
“And I figured out the best way to cut that cost,” her friend went on, “is to make your own feed.”
She sounded proud. “So now I’m talking to some farmers and companies — maize, soybeans, sunflower — trying to make deals so I can get the raw materials. That way, I’ll make my own feed. If I cut that cost, I’ll get more profit. These feed companies are exploiting us. I won’t be one of their victims.”
Niss nodded politely.
“Anyway, have a good day,” her friend said, turning toward home.
Niss just stood there. Her mind echoed one word: Why. Why. Why.
The Funeral (2)
October 15th, 2025– Wednesday
Niss’s phone rang. It was her friend again.
She picked it up half-heartedly.
“Guess what, Niss! I’ve gotten the contract!”
“What contract?” Niss asked, confused.
“For Ngerenya Secondary School! I talked to the principal. I told him I’m starting a one-thousand-bird layer farm and that I’d like to supply them eggs every week. And he said yes! I’m so happy.”
She went on, voice bubbling with excitement. “Now I just need two more schools, and all my eggs will have a market once I start producing. I won’t even struggle.”
Niss felt heat rising in her chest. Her hands trembled. Anger boiled inside her — not hate, but the kind that burns when someone just doesn’t get it.
She took a deep breath and said it.
“Friend. Number one — the principal lied to you. Number two — and most important — start your damn farm.
Which eggs will you sell? Who will you be making the feeds for? Which chickens did you buy the land for?
Did you know that nearly 80% of small layer chicken farms fail within the first two years?
Not because the birds died but because the farmer ran out of purpose,knowledge or a clear plan.
Imagine standing at your farm,with your first day old layer chicks, full of excitement..
But a few weeks pass and you’re not sure if you’re heading towards success…or sinking costs.
That moment you question everything
‘Why am I doing this?’ is exactly where many would be farmers give up.
But behind every lasting profitable layers farm, there’s a farmer who asked better questions ,stayed committed,built real skills and treated his/her farm like a business – even before the eggs started rolling in.
In this post, you’ll learn how to start a layer poultry farm with the 5 gamechanging things every serious layers poultry farmer must master.
Let’s start..
1. Know Your Why
Before sinking time and money into chicks, ask yourself:
Why do you want to start keeping layers?
Is it the profit, the passion for poultry, or the dream of feeding your community?
What deeper purpose drives you?
Are you looking to quit your desk job? Provide for your family? Serve others?
Your why is what keeps you going when things go wrong—because they will.
Without a powerful motivation, many farms go under when challenges arise.
A good technique is the “3 Whys” Exercise:
Why 1…Why do I want to start layers farming? (To make money)
Why 2…Why do I want to make money? (To support my family)
Why 3…Why do I want to support my family? (To insure my children’s future)
There you have it: a soul-deep why to inspire you daily.
