Upcoming poultry farmers in Kenya have started a investing in battery cage systems whereas according to experts the method is not the best for the Poultry welfare and health. A visit to several farms in Machakos revealed that most farmers have started investing heavily on the battery cage system of rearing poultry as it was easy, efficient and had quick returns for profits and business.
Colleta Kalondu Musyimi a farmer from Mbiuni revealed to us that she quit employed and her hardware business to concentrate on the new way of Poultry farming that has started taking roots in Kenya. She said that to her it was the best idea that crossed her mind some 5 years ago where she started with 300 hens then went to 500 and currently she has around 1000 hens at her farm. She confided to us that she manages to get at least 26 crates of 30 eggs each day and sales each crate between Kshs 300 and 320 thus depending on the market thus generally she has an harvest of 100 crates of eggs in 4 days. Roughly she makes Kshs.7800 a day
Colleta added that the only challenge she faces is when the hens are between 1 day old and 4 months but from there its money making venture. She also said that each hen has a life span of 2 years in production and later she sales the hen at a rate of Kshs.400 .The hens stay in the cage from the first day till the day of disposing or selling them. According to Colleta the battery cage system is of advantage as not many eggs are broken and when a bird is sickly she removes it from the cage and treats it alone.
The biggest challenge is when the chicks arrive to the day when they will start laying as one has to feed them daily as the chicks eat a 100kg sack of chick mash each day and usually costs Kshs.2500.She also said that the venture is expensive as one day old chick usually costs Kshs 120 thus totaling Kshs 120,000 for a 1000 chicks and each month takes at least 20 bags of chick mash for the first month and 25kg for the second month. In total the first intake of 1000 birds plus the structure will cost the farmer at least Kshs. 1.2 million for a start.
We also visited a neighboring farm where the farmer does free range system who also confirmed to us off the camera that she was enjoying the system and had around 2000 layers at her disposal and usually manages at least 2000 eggs a day thus roughly 66 crates each going for at least Kshs 300 making roughly Kshs 20,000 a day. We talked to Dr David Waweru the County Director Veterinary services who confirmed that many farmers are investing on the battery cage system especially for layers. 
Dr Waweru said that there are several disadvantages among them being that the animal welfare is really compromised, restricted and cant behave normally as they only have a space where they can eat, drink and sleep with most of natural behaviors limited. He also said that in case of an infection the spread will be very easy and quick within a very short time adding that the undertaking is very expensive from the start of building the cages, buying the chick mash and also keeping the bird till it starts laying.
Dr Waweru added that not many farmers can afford this system as it was expensive and only for the rich as the worst is when there shortage or lack of feeds the animals usually turn to each other thus cannibalism meaning hurting one other. On the other side he said that the system is fast in profit making and its very intensive way of production with it easy for disease control and administering of drugs and water within a short time.
Dr Dennis Bahati and expert with Africa Network for Animal welfare on his part said that the battery cage system is taking momentum in Kenya and has shown quite a number of benefits in production but on concern was the animal welfare the bird is really confined and restricted as they can’t move around with even nesting and flapping of wings constricted thus denying the bad its freedom. Dr Bahati added that the cage system is prone to fractures to the birds though most farmers prefer the system as there is a quick and huge profits but the welfare of the bird isn’t catered for. 
Dr Bahati said as an Animal welfare organization they were advocating for free range system for the freedom of the birds and make them enjoy their natural behaviors. Researchers has it that battery cage system has been globally criticized for its violation of poultry welfare, subjectivity, and sentience. The confinement associated with this poultry management system severely impairs the birds’ welfare, as they are unable to express their natural behavior hence compromising their overall physical and psychological well-being.
Extensive scientific evidence has shown that intensively confined farm animals are frustrated, distressed, and suffering.The cages usually curtail a myriad of natural behaviors, including nesting, perching, dust-bathing, scratching, foraging, running, jumping, flying, stretching, wing-flapping, and even walking. Furthermore, the severe confinement restricts physical movement leading to metabolic disorders, including cage osteoporosis and liver damage. An assessment on the adoption of battery cages as a means of poultry production in Kenya revealed that their use is increasingly gaining popularity among small-scale Peri-urban and urban farmers.
The system was shown to have been adopted within close to half of the counties within Kenya with the target market being the urban populace. Key counties identified to have adopted the use of battery cages include Migori, Machakos Bungoma, Nyeri, Uasin Gishu, Isiolo, Busia, Kericho, TransNzoia, Kirinyaga, Embu, Bomet, Kiambu, Nyamira, Laikipia, Tana River, Kisii, Nakuru, Taita-Taveta, Meru, Homa Bay, Muranga, Narok, Lamu, Kisumu, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Marsabit.