Smart farms

: 01 August 2016; Hits: 10551

Why first 36 hours are critical for orphaned calf in dairy production

Orphaned calves must be fed on colostrum from a foster mother or replacers within the first 36 hours of birth to avoid double loss.

John Gekonge, a Kisii University Animal Health Officer, said the first 24 hours and 36 hours would determine the survival of the calf.

Loss of a dairy mother during or soon after birth due to complications leads to stress to the calf, and if not taken care of, it can also die.

“Orphaned calves often look dehydrated and depressed. Water is key to their systems as they adapt to the new environment. Since they are no longer receiving food from the mothers via the umbilical cord, they must be fed on colostrum for passive immunity. For good health, it must be fed on this nutrient rich milk within 36 hours after birth,” he said.

But before the milk, dehydrated a calf must be given water before milk or else it may diarrhea to death. For that reason, Gekonge said hygiene must be kept when handling feeding equipment and consumables.

Warm colostrum

Stored colostrum must be warmed to between 35 degrees Celsius and 36 degrees Celsius, which is close to normal cow body temperature of 38.6 degrees Celsius.

Besides immunity against diseases like pneumonia, Gekonge said the colostrum offers calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth formation.

Four litres twice a day is sufficient, although doubling this amount has no harm the officer, who is in charge of the university’s dairy section said.

Milk replacers can be bought from agrovets and other animal health supply facilities.

Teats are stimulants

If four litres are offered in the first week, the amount must be decreased gradually by half a litre until the seventh day when it will receive one litre in the morning and evening.

Teats are preferred in the feeding process to stimulate production of saliva and triggering of the opening up of the digestive system during suckling.

Weaning starts after the eighth week, although the feeds can be introduced slowly as the milk is being reduced.

At weaning, the calf is introduced to foods like dairy pellets, Napier grass, common grass, among other feeds including commercial ones.

By the end of 16 weeks, the heifer is ready for service, Gekonge said.

PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

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: 19 July 2016; Hits: 11443

Centrifugal extractor saves farmers 30 per cent honey lost to past ways

A bee rearing agribusiness group is saving close to 30 cent of honey lost through tradition methods of extraction using a quick manual centrifugal machine.

Chairman of Nyabwaroro Self Help Group Ezekiel Ndege said traditional extraction of honey by squeezing and warming caused them a loss of about three litres out of the possible 10 litres.

In squeezing, the dense liquid remains both in the equipment and mulled honeycombs.

“Loss of even half a litre of honey is a painful pinch to business. That is why we started using the centrifugal machine, which can extract three litres at once. Because the machine is enclosed with stainless steel, there is no soaking or leakage as the highly viscous liquid drains to the collecting tap with ease,” Ndege said.

Honey harvester.JPG

Preventing mammoth loss

It is equally time-saving for such a group, which has 15 beehives. Three-one-litre bars of honey-filled combs are inserted into the machine, which is rotated by hand. Within five minutes, one has three litres of pure honey ready for packaging.

Ndege, however, insists that the machine is best for use with Langstroth bee hive type, which has two layers of honeycombs per a bar.

Failing to collect three litres honey means Sh2,400 cash loss per beehive per harvesting season.

Whilst use of warm water in the extraction process increases chances of contamination, the machine minimises, chances of entry of any particles.

“At wholesale, one litre is sold at Sh800 and Sh1,000 at retail. Supermarkets, which are our main buyers, do not question the price. It is so because it is of high quality. Warming with water adulterates the honey, which may reduce shelf-life of the product,” he said.

Why quick honey harvests

Before entering the collecting reservoir, the honey passes through two filters which remove any residues.

For the first time after installation of the beehive, it takes four months to harvest. But subsequent harvests from the Langstroth hive takes three months, the chairman said during the Kisii Agricultural Society of Kenya Show 2016.

The machine only extracts honey, leaving the combs intact. After the empty combs are taken back, the bees will start refilling them, and only repairing the few damaged parts.

Close to Sh0.5 milkion in honey

The Nyamira County’s Nyamusi Sub-County group harvests 150 litres of honey four times per year. This translates to 600 litres, which earn them Sh480,000 gross income.

The honey comb residue is filtered band processed into candles at their factory for sale.

The cost them Sh80,000.

Ndege can be reached on +254716338690

PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

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: 19 July 2016; Hits: 28669

Crossbreeding broilers with layers cuts feeds and triples eggs

One poultry farmer has reduced the amount of feeds consumed by broilers by half and tripled egg production by crossbreeding layers with the meat breeds.

Chore Sunda, a Kisii County farmer who has been in the poultry agribusiness since 1984, said the resultant crossbreed lays between 20 and 30 eggs per season.

“Broilers lay six to ten eggs after maturity as they wait to be sold. But when the market is poor, feeding them adds no much weight because they have attained a growth climax. Layer-broiler crossbreed continues laying eggs as they wait for slaughtering,” Sunda said.

Giant egg

Broilers consume one kilo to one and half kilos per day. But his crossbreed feeds on half a kilo in a day.

He, however, said the laying is not as regular as in pure layers, but the size is thrice that of other normal eggs. Sunda sells each at Sh40.

The ‘dual’ breed also takes long to mature. Broilers are ready for marketing after six weeks if they are well taken care of. But the cross-breed starts laying after four months.

Profits in crossbreeding

Sunda allows pure breed cocks from layers to fertilise the eggs of the broilers. He transfers the eggs to local breeds for hatching.

The farmer said crossbreeding is an easy way of raising the chickens when the demand for meat is not high. By April, he had 30 cross breed chickens.

He sold 10 at prices ranging from Sh1,500 to Sh2,500. A hen of 3.5 kg goes for Sh1,500 while a cock of six kilos earns him Sh2,500.

“I feed them like local chicken. Having taken more time to mature, they are sweeter than the six-week pure broilers, which also fetch less than Sh500 each.

Veteran poultry lover

Besides the crossbreeds, he is rearing pure kienyeji and layers, improved kienyeji, geese, and turkeys-since 1979.

His stock rises up to 70 or 80, depending on the season, with April, August and December being the best times.

At the moment, the farmer, who is better known as Ekiaramba Ekenyerere-the slim wasp, has seven turkeys three geese, 12 kienyeji and eight layers and several chicks.

PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT

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Saturday, 28 November 2020 This is good info.