Nutritive value of forages and diets in some small-scale dairy farms in Kiambu County, Kenya in the short rains season

Abstract

Sixteen selected small-scale dairy farms were investigated in Kiambu County (Kenya) during the short rains seasonto develop a snapshot of the types of rations fed, milk yields obtained and sources of fodder. On average farmers had1 ha of land and 2.2 lactating cows yielding 8.93 kg milk/cow/d with feed intake of 10.5 kg DM/d. Only 35% of feedconsumed was produced on farm. Boma Rhodes grass hay and green Napier grass were the main forage components(37.9 and 28.3% of total DM). Protein forages used were the herbaceous legumes lucerne and desmodium (19.9 and15.9% CP, respectively) and leguminous shrubs (Leucaena, Calliandra and Sesbania with 21.1% CP and 43.4%aNDFom, on average). Grasses had higher aNDFom digestibility (47.1%) than legumes (39.7%). Napier grass, BomaRhodes grass, lucerne and desmodium had fiber digestibility of 51.9, 48.6, 46.8 and 32.6%, respectively. The energyand protein balances (actual vs. requirements) of the cows were on average -19.3 and -16.4%, respectively, indicatingthat cows utilized body tissues to produce the levels of milk obtained. Mutiple correspondence analysis showed that amilk yield higher than 9.1 kg/d was associated with a level of Boma Rhodes grass <5 kg DM/d, concentration of nonfibrous carbohydrates in the diet >22.0% (DM basis), concentrate level >2.63 kg/cow/d and CP% in the ration >9.1%. To improve milk yields during this season farmers should harvest grass forage at a younger age, include leguminous forage in the diets and increase the level of concentrates fed. These strategies should be demonstrated on farms to show possible benefits.

Dairy Farming Conditions and Utilization Levels of Liquid Brewers’ Yeast in Kenya

“…Most farmers dump it on the roadside. The microbial processes and chemical reactions on heaps of manure along the roadside may lead to a release of methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), ammonia (NH 3 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) [20] [21].…”