Rainbow Rooster

Product Information

The Rainbow Rooster is known for fast growth, tender meat, and high egg production. This hardy hybrid is popular for both small-scale and commercial farms, especially in East Africa. The breed is well-suited for free-range and semi-intensive farming systems.

Additional Information

Characteristics

Dual-purpose: Rainbow Roosters are suitable for both meat and egg production.
Appearance: They are known for their colourful plumage, resembling a rainbow.
Temperament: The birds are agile and better at evading predators compared to many broiler breeds.
Hardiness: They are disease-resistant and can withstand various climates, including harsh conditions in regions like Eastern Africa.
Broodiness: This hybrid breed has been bred to not go broody (not sit on eggs), which maximises egg production. This requires farmers to use an incubator or purchase new chicks to hatch.

Growth and productivity

The performance of a Rainbow Rooster depends on its diet and farming system.

Meat production

Commercial feeding: Under commercial feeding, a rooster can reach an average weight of 2 kg in about 8 weeks. Mature roosters can reach 3.5–4 kg, while hens reach 2.5–3 kg.
Free-range: In a free-range system, growth is slower. A rooster will reach about 1.3 kg in 9 weeks.
Maturity: The breed matures for meat production in 4 to 6 months.

Egg production

Laying period: Hens start laying eggs at around 5 months of age and lay continuously for 10 months. The economic laying period is about 1.5 years.
Yield: Hens lay an average of 160–180 eggs over a 72-week (16-month) laying cycle. Some sources estimate a rate of 180 to 200 eggs per year under good management.
Egg weight: The average egg weight is about 60 grams.

Feeding programme

According to Farmbizafrica.com, feeding should be tailored to the chicken’s age:

1–4 weeks old: Feed chicks chick mash at a rate of 13–50 grams per day.
5–8 weeks old: Feed growers mash or kienyeji mash at a rate of 50–70 grams per day. The birds can begin free-ranging at this stage.
Over 20 weeks old: Layers should be fed layer mash at a rate of 130 grams per day.
Local feeds: For a semi-intensive system, you can supplement commercial feeds with kitchen scraps, vegetables, and other locally available foods