Overview Kenya Dairy Farming

However, dairy farming is my major source of income. Below are areas and activities in my dairy farm: 1. Overview 2. Feeding 3. Production 4. Management, Insemination, De-worming, and Sales 5. Farming Resources

CURRENT REALITY Calculated at international prices, cow milk is the most significant agricultural commodity for Kenya. (FAOSTAT) The formal diary industry is now the fastest growing agricultural sub-sector in Kenya. There are over thirty registered processors in the country, but four large processors dominate the industry.

Brookside 39% - East Africa leading dairy. With fully fledged operations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Brookside Dairy has the largest farmers network, milk collection and storage capacity in the region. New KCC 31 % processing and marketing milk and milk products. such as fresh milk, cheese, long life milk both flavored and unflavored, fermented milk both flavored and unflavored, yogurt, ghee and powdered milk both whole and skimmed variants. SpinKnit 13% was founded in 1996 after the liberalization of the dairy sector.. The company started as a mini dairy processing plant in Nakuru with a distribution fleet of 3 vehicles. The fleet has now grown rapidly, to over 150 vehicles at the current production site in Nairobis Industrial Area. Githunguru 9% was registered in August 1961 with a membership of 31. The society started with one collection center, which have increased to 58 fully computerized to date. Currently the cooperative has grown tremendously to 17,000 registered members, annual turn over of Kshs 3 billion and an average of 170,000 liters of milk per day.

These four account for over 92% of the formal market. This group of three is constantly looking for new milk sources to fill processing plants to capacity; capacity utilization in the industry is at a low 40%. In the informal market:

70-80% of milk production comes from smallholders of which there is an estimated 1 million households producing milk. Most of the dairy production is concentrated in Rift Valley and Central Province. 53% of dairy cattle is found in Rift Valley and 25% in Central Province. Due to low usage of commercial feeds and high reliability on available grass, the production is highly dependent on weather.

When compared to best practices, most of Kenyan smallholders practice the opposite. They do not use AI, do not feed the cows properly, do not water them properly and use a minimum, if any, preventive health care. This results in low genetic quality of cows which substantially under-produce even in respect to their already limited potential due to poor health and insufficient nutrient intake. Complete reliance on grazing also makes milk production seasonal. Some information on this and the following pages The Dairy Value Chain in Kenya written by the East Africa Dairy Development Program in August 2008.

My Story I reside near Nyahururu town LAIKIPIA DISTRICT, Kenya, East Africa. I am a proud dairy farmer. I have 5 dairy cows (4 Friesians and 1 Ayreshire), 2 Heifers that have been served and three young calves (about 10 months old). I have three and a half acres of land where I graze as well as grow fodder for the dairy cows.

I have mixed system of farming or integrated farming whereby being a dairy farmer I also practice fish farming, poultry farming, sell fodder (hay) and grow subsistence crops. These farm enterprises make my overall operations more efficient and profitable. This comes about by sharing space, inputs, byproducts and labor.

Feeding Dairy Farm

East Africa Dairy Development says that Kenyan dairy farm yields are substantially lower than the international standards. This is because of Poor and inadequate feeding. Most cows produce well bellow their potential because their nutrient intake is insufficient in both quantity and kind. Most smallholders feed their cows by letting them openly graze, mostly on common land, by the side of the road. This does not provide cows with sufficient quantity of food. Grazing is not normally supplemented by feeds, depriving cows from required level of proteins and minerals. The main reason for not using commercially or home-made feeds is their high cost. Also, the farmers often complain that the quality of commercial feeds varies, and is inconsistent. At the same time, some ingredients to make home-made feeds, such as cotton seed cake are not locally produced, and occasional shortages cab increase the cost of production. Heres how Im dealing with this issue and producing excellent yields in my cows

FEEDING The breeds reared here are Friesian and Ayreshire and feeding is done according to the quantity of milk produced per cow. The cows are divided into the following; 1. Dairy cows 2. Heifer 3. Calves. The following foods are given;

1. Free range feeding or grazing on oat and kikuyu grass fields 2. Oats and Wheat hay 3. Maize stalks (dry) 4. Molasses 5. Maize silage if you haver an acre of land it may be more economical to turn maize into silage, than to sell it as maize. When maize is used to produce silage to feed cows 30 tons of silage can feed approximately three cows for a year at 30 kg per day per cow. This can make your milk yield four times higher. 6. Dairy meal mixture of maize germ, pollard, Soya beans, cotton seed cakes, sunflower, fishmeal and yeast. This can be bought at a low price when it are abundant and used during the dry season when its price is high and pasture is not available. Feeding a Dairy Cow

If a cow is producing 25kgs of milk per day, I usually give 4-6kgs of dairy meal every day mixed with 60gms of Super Vitaphos Ultimax mineral supplements or use Maclik XP. The cow is then fed 8kgs of hay or maize silage and then allowed to graze in the oat fields.

Feeding a Heifer

Heifers need grains and roughages to provide their nutrition needs the first year of life. During the second year, roughages supply most of their nutrients needs. To improve health and prepare heifer for lactation offer mineral supplements like Maclik Plus or Vitaphos ad libitum.

Feeding a calf

Day 1 to Day 3, allow the calf to drink its mothers milk ad libitum (as much as possible). On Day 4, introduce calf pellets by placing a few countable pellets onto the milk urn after the calf has drunk the milk. Milk feeding at the rate of 2kgs should be done 3 times a day and continue for one week.Day 5, introduce clear and clean water in limited quantities. Also increase calf pellets to a half handful.Day 7, introduce hay or pre wilted napier, reduce milk to 2kg in 2 times per day. Also increase calf pellets. The regime should continue as you increase the amount of pellets and pasture and reducing the milk uptake gradually from the 2nd month and wean the calf before the 3rd month. Month 4, the calf should be weaned from calf pellets to young stock pencil which is slightly lower in protein value.

Kindly note that the calf should be dehorned on the 3rd month.

QUESTION - Hi. Please give the quantities of concentrates to make dairy meal. Thanks Commercial supplements such as dairy meal are estimated to cost about 20% of the total cost of milk production hence reducing the farmers profit. Making dairy supplements using locally available and less expensive feeds can help farmers to realize higher milk yields at a lower cost of production. How to mix the Dairy Supplements To make 100kg of the supplement use the following: a. 75kg energy feeds i.e 75% examples 57kg maize germ, 18 kg wheat pollard b.23kg protein feeds i.e 23% examples 17kg lucerne hay, 6kg soya meal c.2kg minerals i.e 2% examples 1/2kg Dicalcium Phosphate 2kg Ultimax salt (from vetcare). Examples of high energy feeds are Maize germ, Wheat pollard, molasses, maize bran, wheat bran. Examples of high protein feeds are lucerne hay, cotton seed cake, soya bean meal, sunflower seed cake, sesbania leaves, calliandra leaves and fish meal. Please use what is locally available in your area. We would be glad to hear from you again.

Production Dairy Farm MILK PRODUCTION The quantity of milk produced is approximately 20kg per cow per day although the production may vary with different feeds and stage of lactation (early lactation, mid lactation and late lactation). Water and minerals (salt) must be available always. Some minerals cannot be offered as free lick and has to be mixed thoroughly with dairy feeds. Also note that heifers production may vary compared with an older cow. On average, the following is milk production for a heifer up to a 3rd lactation cow in my farm,

1. First Lactation (20 22kg) of milk per day. 2. Second lactation (22 25kg) per day 3. Third & future lactation (24kg and above) per day.

At 20kg per cow per day the yearly production would be approximately 7,200 kg. The average yield per cow in Kenya is estimated to be between 564 kilograms and 1000 kilograms per year. South Africa and Argentina have yields ranging between 2,500 and 3,500 kilograms per year, while the USA stands at an average of 9,000 kilograms per year. South Africa and Argentina have yieldsranging between 2,500 and 3,500 kilograms per year, while the USA stands at an averageof 9,000 kilograms per year.

Management, Insemination & Deworming

HEALTH MANAGEMENT The following diseases are quite prone in my areas; 1. East Cost Fever I usually use Bupervex, Diminazene, and Adamycin 2. Milk Fever- I inject Calciject and give the cow a higher ratio of minerals especially calcium. 3. Mastitis, which is rare I use Terrexine tubes and if severe I inject Gentamycin. 4. Pneumonia I inject Penstrep and Bimahistamine. 5. Eye infections I use Opticlox. 6. Injuries/Wounds due to cuts, bite etc I inject Penstrep and Alamycin aerosal spray. To control ticks, fleas and flies, I spray Sypertix after every two weeks.

INSEMINATION East Africa Dairy Development says that Kenyan dairy farm yields are substantially lower than the international standards. This is because of Poor breeding practices. The bulk of Kenyas dairy herd has a relatively low genetic base due to years of inbreeding and the use of unproven bulls. This lowers potential productivity. Artificial insemination (AI) is still not widely used because of its high cost. The objective of a breeding policy is to produce cows with genetic potential for optimum milk production, health & fertility, conformation, longevity, and reliability. All these attributes contribute to productivity of my herd and have their ultimate effect on the profitability of my dairy enterprise. A properly feed heifer should be served between 12 to 18 months for Holstein Friesian cows. After calving, a cow may be served approximately two months after calving.. I rely on Artificial Insemination (AI) service as I can be supplied with full information on the merit of the semen. Artificial insemination (AI) a method where bull semen is introduced in to the cows uterus artificially using a tube. Pedigree semen imported from Europe and USA can be very expensive but ministries of livestock and agriculture in various African countries have departments that provide relatively cheaper AI services.

DEWORMING I deworm my calves every month for the first six months and then every two months for up to one year.

For heifers and adult dairy cows, I deworm after every months. I usually alternate between, Albendazole (e.g. Duotech, Valbazen), Levamisole and Oxyclozanide (e.g. Levafas extra, Nilzan Super) based drugs. In between the deworming period, I inject anti-nematodes drugs like Closamectin, Trodax and Ivermectin. N/B This inject is strictly subcutaneous (between the muscles and the skin and around the neck area). SALES The following are items sold from my farm; 1. Milk Am currently selling a litre of milk at Kshs 30. 2. Hay One bale of hay is selling at Kshs 250. 3. Manure One ton of manure is selling at Kshs 3000. 4. Dairy cows One dairy cow is Kshs 120,000.