Smart farms

: 03 October 2017; Hits: 9018

Proper care of dairy cow improves milk production

Dairy farmer-Nyeri County.JPG

Farmer cleans his dairy cow in Nyeri show grounds during Central Kenya ASK show . Cows grazed in a farm with little pasture and water and housed in dirty sheds littered with cow dung and urine, the result is low milk yields and cases of diseases.

Dairy cows whether exotic, hybrid or crossbred if not taken good care of in terms of feeding, housing and protection against diseases can remain unproductive and prone to diseases dwindling the farmer’s income.

Large scale and longtime dairy farmers consider balance diet as a MUST for their cows which is the right feed in the right amount and at the right time. These farmers understand the role of Napier grass as fodder for animals. However, feeding their cows on Napier grass, little pasture and water, banana leaves and such like is improper diet in dairy farming.

Napier grass for example is one of the best and reliable fodder for livestock, but farmers should know that about 70 to 80 per cent of this fodder is composed of water, meaning that the animals gets only 20 to 30 per cent dry matter.

“Besides selecting good breeds, proper feeding, housing and handling of dairy cows are sure ways of getting good yields and income. A good breed that receives good feed and clean water, proper housing and friendly and gentle care gives more milk and money while a poorly managed one gives less milk and the farmer incurs huge veterinary expenses that reduce profits,” said Dr. David Michuki of Dao Chem company- the company which manufactures varieties of Vitamark livestock salt.

According to Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization – Kalro, the amount of feed provided to the cows depends on the amount of milk it produces, its weight, temperature and levels of activity. The feeds should give a lactating cow energy, protein, fibre, minerals, vitamins and water in the rightful amounts.

Experts advise that dairy cows especially of 400Kg should be fed with about 15Kg of dry matter of fodder. This means that if you were to feed your cow on Napier grass, molasses, maize and wheat germ or any other grass fodder such should be of three feet on because this length of fodder grass has enough dry matter and less water hence adequate nutrition.

Kaganda Mathias is one of the leading smallholder dairy farmer in Njeru town which is adjacent to the Nile Breweries Plant. He has been feeding his dairy cows on beer by-products. “Feeling the big stomachs of my cows is not a simple task, I get other feeds from pasture grasses, fodder and my home-made silage that enables me to cater for their basal diet,” said Mathias.

After a cow has been given food reach in proteins, vitamins and energy water is key. It comprises more than half the weight of an adult dairy cow which should be given 60 litres of water per day.

Today in most urban areas in Kenya a litre of milk sells at between KSh 40 and KSh 50 in the informal market while processors pay Ksh 33 to KSh 35 per litre meaning with good and proper care on dairy cows farmers can be all time earners and controllers of the economy.

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: 28 September 2017; Hits: 14485

Irrigation helping Kirinyaga farmers boost their Sweet potato production

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Nelson Ngaara's sweet potato farm with sprinklers open watering the crops. Sprinkler system are up to 15% more than the drip system which can be attributed to more vigorous growth due to rooting of the vine nodes on the wet soil between the beds.

Sweet potatoes farmers from Kirinyaga County have resorted to sprinkler irrigation system where water is distributed by overhead high-pressure sprinklers from a central location in the field in order to help them improve and maintain their crop production during this low rainfall period.

Kirinyaga County alone produces about 500 tons of sweet potatoes every year. This is used to produce flour, baking and chips or even sold in their fresh state for food.

However, the greatest challenge remains availability of reliable water throughout the season as most production is rain-fed.
Nelson Ngaara is sweet potato farmer in Sagana, Kirinyaga County. He says he has six sprinklers in his one acre piece of sweet potatoes land. He irrigate them once a week given they have over grown and their leaves and vines covering the ground reducing the rate of water lose through evaporation.

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“I irrigate my sweet potatoes once a week now that they have over grown but when they are still young with their leaves not yet spread enough I sprinkle water twice to enable roots development,” said Ngaara adding that the water he draws from River Tana has been of benefit to him and other farmers in the region.

He expects between 40-50 bags of potatoes from the land late October when he will be harvesting. His main markets are Sagana centre and Kagio where traders from Nairobi come occasionally to buy sweet potatoes from them.

Yields under sprinkler system are up to 15% more than the drip system which can be attributed to more vigorous growth due to rooting of the vine nodes on the wet soil between the beds. Root quality is superior to the tape system but weed growth is more of a problem. A mini-sprinkler system needs to be correctly designed to give complete and even ground cover.

Kenya’s potential to produce sweet potato for the export market is high due to favourable soil and vine quality plus water availability in production areas. Sweet pomato processing factory can be located at Kagio because of the area’s high production of the produce.

Experts say that root maturity of sweet potatoes can vary between varieties and root development is slower during cooler weather. Growers need to monitor the development of roots with regular checks of root size after 18 weeks. Marketable grades of roots are between 0.25 and 1 kilogram. If harvested at the correct time, around 60-70% of total roots should be within this grade. If grown during the dry season most varieties should be ready for digging at about 20 -22 weeks from planting. If left too long in the ground the roots can become oversize and unmarketable.

“The economy of Kenya relies on Agriculture. Eighty percent of the country is arid or semi-arid. In the arid and semi-arid areas sustainable agriculture can only be achieved through well planned and operated irrigation. The Government of Kenya has identified irrigation as an important tool for improving food self-sufficiency and enhancing household incomes in the rural sector,” writes M.K. Gakundi General Manager, Smallholder Irrigation Scheme Development Organization, Kenya in a FAO report.

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: 28 September 2017; Hits: 16437

Four diets to boost milk production during the dry season

Smallholder farmers in Kenya face many challenges during the dry season due to dwindling feed for their animals. Farmers usually lack good quality feed that can enhance milk production as their animals depend on various grasses which are only available in abundance during the wet season. As such, poor feeding leads to poor health and low milk production hence farmers get low income from their cows/goats.

Four diets for more milk have been tested by the scientists at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization and farmers in the highlands of western Kenya.

The first step for farmers is to think about the feeds they have on their farms and identify what their cows/goats need. Good fed cows must have at least one food from each of the three sources: Proteins, energy and minerals.

Energy foods available for smallholder farmers currently include natural grasses, Napier grass, and reject maize. Protein food includes bean straw and sweet potato vines whereas food that fills includes banana pseudostems and maize stovers.

It is important therefore for farmers to ascertain extra diets that can improve on their livestock health and enhance milk production.

To increase energy farmers need to provide their cows with molasses, maize and wheat germ. More protein sources can be found in fodder trees (Calliandra, Sesbania & Leucaena), desmodium, poultry waste, lucerne, omena and sunflower. For minerals, dairy lick should be provided.

Examples of balanced diets to be fed on dairy cows for more milk

Diet 1

This diet can give farmers up to 8.5 bottles of milk. It will cost KES 29 a day and gives KES 89 a day. Farmers will need a quarter of an acre of Napier grass or roadside grass to feed their cows all year round.

Diet 2