My Passion for Poultry Farming Led Me to Develop My Own Incubator – Seth Akoto Ofei

Driven by a deep passion for farming and a commitment to innovation, electrical engineer Seth Akoto Ofei has successfully designed and built incubators to hatch eggs for his poultry farm.

During a tour of his farm on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Akoto Ofei shared his long-standing interest in farming.

“I often had to leave Cape Coast late at night, around 9 PM, to reach the airport in Accra by 1 AM, pick up day-old chicks, and return,” he explained. This routine was necessary whenever he needed to restock his farm.

Creating an Incubator
The idea to develop an incubator stemmed from his father’s advice. “As an electrical engineer, why take the risk of traveling to Accra just to buy day-old chicks? Why not use your expertise to create your own incubator?” his father suggested.

Initially, Akoto Ofei did not take the idea seriously. However, with persistent encouragement from his father, he decided to give it a try. “In my first two attempts, none of the 30 eggs hatched. On my third attempt, only three out of 30 hatched. It was frustrating, but I refused to give up,” he recounted.

Determined to improve his success rate, he traveled to his village to observe how hens naturally incubate their eggs.

“I noticed that at certain stages, hens use their beaks to rotate the eggs before sitting on them again,” he discovered.

Incorporating this insight, he modified his incubator to include an automatic egg-rotation system.

“With this improvement, I placed 100 eggs in the incubator and achieved a 50% hatch rate. That breakthrough motivated me to keep refining the design,” he shared. “This entire process took me no less than a year,” he emphasized.

Today, he has successfully developed two incubators capable of hatching 1,056 and 500 eggs, respectively. This enables him to hatch up to 1,556 eggs of any bird type, including layers and broilers.

The Advantage of Locally Bred Birds
Akoto Ofei highlighted that locally bred birds have a significantly lower mortality rate and stronger resistance to diseases compared to imported breeds.

“When comparing mortality rates and resistance levels, my birds are far superior and well-acclimated to our climate,” he asserted.

Introducing the ‘Okunkom Nam’ Fowl
Having successfully bred and incubated both layers and broilers, Akoto Ofei set out to develop a unique local breed exclusive to his farm. To achieve this, he traveled across villages and towns in the Cape Coast Metropolis, selecting the best fowl breeds to create what he now calls the ‘Okunkom Nam’ fowl.

Developed since 2019, this special breed is larger, heavier, and more visually appealing than ordinary chickens. Explaining its name, Akoto Ofei stated,

“‘Okunkom Nam’ symbolizes a fowl with a substantial amount of meat, intended to alleviate hunger in our homeland. Its meat is tender and more flavorful than conventional poultry meat.”

The Future of Poultry Farming in Ghana
Investing in the poultry industry presents vast opportunities for employment across farming, processing, and distribution. This aligns with President John Mahama’s campaign promise to revitalize the poultry sector. Mahama has pledged incentives such as day-old chicks and ovens to support poultry and bakery startups.

Furthermore, he has committed to revamping the struggling poultry industry by incentivizing farmers, promoting local consumption under the ‘Made-in-Ghana’ initiative, and launching the ‘Poultry Farm to Table’ project in collaboration with Poultry Farmers Associations.

Akoto Ofei views this as an opportunity to contribute to national development. He urged President Mahama to leverage his expertise in producing day-old chicks to support young entrepreneurs in poultry farming. “With the right investment, I can manufacture larger incubators to produce more day-old chicks, reducing the need for costly foreign imports with high mortality rates,” he emphasized.

A Call for Government Support
Encouraging young people to persist in their dreams despite challenges, Akoto Ofei also appealed for government assistance to expand his production.

“With a modest investment, I can supply the required day-old chicks to support the NDC government’s poultry agenda, contributing to youth employment,” he stated.

Through his innovation and dedication, Akoto Ofei is demonstrating how local ingenuity can drive transformation in Ghana’s agricultural sector.