Lango poultry farmers urged to embrace mechanical incubators to boost local chicken production
LIRA, October 13, 2026 — Poultry farmers in the Lango Subregion have been urged to embrace mechanical incubators to increase the production of indigenous chicken and help prevent the possible extinction of local breeds.
Experts warn that indigenous chicken breeds face the risk of disappearing as many farmers increasingly turn to exotic breeds, particularly hybrids, because they mature faster and provide quicker financial returns.
Tom Okao, a poultry production expert and Chief Executive Officer of Okao Greenfield Mixed Farm Limited, says he is seeking to reverse the trend through an innovative mechanical incubator he has developed and named Mingweno.
Okao says he has established a poultry unit with a capacity of 3,000 birds, where he plans to rear indigenous chicken alongside other breeds, including broilers and Sasso.
“I am encouraging poultry farmers in northern Uganda to adopt this simple technology to improve local chick production rather than relying on imported exotic breeds,” he says.
Okao, who is also Principal of Fountainhead Institute of Management and Technology, says the mechanical incubator consists of egg trays, a heating chamber, humidity-control features and a lighting system.
Okao Greenfield Mixed Farm, located in Otono Village, Bar Subcounty, Lira District, has several enterprises, including poultry and fish farming, rabbit rearing and about 20 acres of maize plantations.
Okao says the incubator can accommodate 150 fertilised eggs, which hatch within the recommended 21-day incubation period.
“This innovation is good for both rural and urban poultry farmers to boost the production of local chicken because a time may come when indigenous birds will no longer be seen. All farmers will be producing only exotic birds imported from elsewhere,” he says.
Okao says the incubator costs Shs1.8 million and that users can recover their investment within a short period if the technology is properly utilised.
He also encouraged young people to invest in the technology rather than spending their money on motorcycles, which can break down and become expensive to maintain.
“Many young people waste their money buying motorcycles, which eventually break down. But investing in an incubator can help them save money and generate more income,” he says.
https://thecooperator.news/over-500-youth-trained-in-climate-smart-poultry-value-chain/
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