Download or read book Productivity and Welfare of Cows on Smallholder Dairy Farms in Kenya written by Shauna Michelle Richards and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is limited field-based research and recommendations on the effects of nutritional, management, and welfare-based interventions on the productivity and efficiency of smallholder dairy farms in Kenya. The objectives of this research on smallholder dairy farms in Kenya were: 1) to determine the associations of feeding, management, cow, and farmer-based variables on the yearly cow-level milk sales (observational study); 2) to determine the associations of nutritional inputs (concentrate and vitamin/mineral supplements), management, cow, and farmer-based variables on cow-level milk production through a randomized controlled feeding trial; 3) to describe the cow-level incidence rate, causative organisms, and possible risk factors of mastitis; 4) to describe the calving interval of cows and its possible associations with nutritional inputs; and 5) to describe the current welfare of cows, and through the use of a controlled field trial, investigate effects of a knowledge-based intervention and re-construction of zero-grazing stalls on cow comfort and welfare parameters.Two cohorts of cows were evaluated in this thesis research. The first cohort was comprised of 111 recently calved cows from 111 smallholder farms (1 cow/farm). This cohort was used to evaluate objectives 1-4. A second cohort of 75 cows from 50 smallholder farms (1-2cows/farm) was used to evaluate objective 5.In an observational study, linear regression modelling was used to determine that volume of milk sold per cow was positively associated with feeding concentrates in the month prior to calving, feeding purchased hay during the past year, deworming cows every four or more months (as opposed to more regularly), and having dairy farming as the main source of family income. Volume of milk sold per cow was negatively associated with a household size of > 5 people, and feeding Napier grass at > 2 meters in height during the dry season. An interaction between gender of the principal farmer and reported feed shortages was noted wherein the volume of milk sold per cow was lower when female farmers experienced feed shortages, whereas milk sales from male farmers were unaffected by reported feed shortages. In a controlled trial, 111 recently calved cows (one cow/farm) were enrolled to evaluate nutritional inputs on the outcome of daily milk production, and were concurrently evaluated for incident cases of mastitis. Cows were randomly allocated to one of nine feeding interventions made up of: three levels of feeding of commercially available dairy meal and mineral, and fed for a period of two months. Through use of a mixed model accounting for repeated measures, cow-level daily milk production was positively associated with each kg/day of dairy meal fed (0.53 kg/day), feeding dairy meal in the month prior to calving (1.42 kg/day), and feeding high protein forages (0.41 kg/day). Daily milk production was negatively associated with having mastitis (- 0.30 kg/day). Cows were evaluated every two weeks for incident cases of subclinical mastitis via California Mastitis Testing and culture. The baseline incidence rate of subclinical mastitis was 0.123 cases/cow-month. The most common pathogen isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (58%).The reproductive efficiency of 111 cows was evaluated for pregnancy one and two years after the onset of the nutrition inputs trial. A Cox-proportional hazards model was used to determine the hazard of calving. Mineral feeding was found to have a close to significant effect (P = 0.052) when included as a time varying effect, with mineral feeding closer to the daily recommended intake leading to a higher hazard of calving. Farmers with college or university education and female farmers had cows with a higher hazard of calving (17.33 (3.86-77.78) and 1.95 (1.17-3.26) respectively), compared to farmers who did not finish primary school, and male farmers, respectively. A controlled trial evaluating welfare based interventions on 75 cows from 50 zero-grazing farms had farms randomly allocated to an intervention of training and low-cost stall modifications or a control group (random allocation blocked on farm). Cows were evaluated pre-intervention, and one month and one year following interventions for subjective measures such as stall base hardness and wetness, and cow hygiene and lesion (hock, knee, neck) scoring. Objective measures, such as daily milk production and lying behaviours (through the use of accelerometers), were also collected. Continuous outcomes were evaluated through the use of linear mixed models, and subjective outcomes by Chi-squared tests. Soft stalls were associated with longer lying times (45 minutes/day) in a 24 hour period (over hard stalls), as well as more lying bouts in shorter bout durations. Having softer stalls was also associated with increased daily milk production (0.76 kg/day). Dry stalls were also associated with having more lying bouts/day. Cows in the intervention group were cleaner than control cows at both one month and one year after the intervention. Strategic feeding of concentrates, forages, and minerals is beneficial to improved milk production, and reproductive efficiency in the context of smallholder dairy farms in Kenya. Additional benefits to productivity can be attained through improved cow welfare and hygiene.

Download or read book Improving Productivity and Reproductive Efficiency of Smallholder Dairy Cows in Kenya written by Joan Muraya and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aims of this research were: 1) to gain a better understanding of the productive and reproductive outputs of the smallholder dairy farms (SDF); 2) to determine the factors and prevalence of selected reproductive diseases potentially affecting these outputs; and 3) to assess the use of sexed semen and reproductive hormones in improving reproductive efficiency of these cows. The research was done in the Meru area of Kenya. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess farm management, milk production and reproductive performance of 314 lactating cows. Two hundred smallholder farms were randomly selected from the entire sampling frame of active members of Naari Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society. Farms were visited once within the three month study period, a questionnaire administered to the farmers for risk factors associated with milk yield, and animals were examined for physical and reproductive health. A multivariable mixed linear regression model of log milk/cow/day was constructed; accounting for confounding, cow clustering within farms and days in milk. The average body condition score and milk produced were 2.4 and 6.7 kg/cow/day, respectively, with 43.4% of the cows having been bred or pregnant at the time. Almost a third of all lactating cows were anestrous, and the average days in milk was 300. In the multivariable model, log of milk yield was positively associated with increasing weight of the animals, feeding concentrates (dairy meal) on the last month of gestation, and increasing percentage of land allocated for growing fodder for dairy cows. The indigenous breed category was negatively associated with log of milk yield. Cycling and confirmed pregnant cows both had higher milk production than early pregnant and anestrous cows.

Download or read book Smallholder Dairy Technology in Coastal Kenya written by Charles F. Nicholson and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examined the factors influencing adoption of three related dairy technologies in coastal Kenya, and assessed the impacts of dairy adoption on household income, employment generation and nutrition status of pre-school children. The technologies studied were adoption of grade and crossbred dairy animals, planting of the fodder Napier grass and use of the infection and treatment method of immunisation against East Coast fever. A series of household surveys was conducted from mid-1997 to mid-1998. The descriptive results from surveys of 202 households in Coast Province indicate that adoption of a grade or crossbred dairy animal may result in substantial increases in household income, can generate paid (secondary) employment, and may improve the nutritional status of pre-school-age children in the Household. Econometric analyses, which controlled for numerous confounding factos, provided less consistent support for the impact of adoption on household income and paid employment. It appears that neither the adoption nor productivity of dairying are constrained by poor availability of technology options. For dairy development activities on the coast, two areas merit atention: mechanisms for easing access to grade and crossbred dairy cattle, either through credit schemes or through self-help smallholder co-operatives, and reducing the disease risks associated with grade and corssbred dairy animals.

Download or read book Enhancing Productivity and Livelihoods of Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Kenya Through Agroforestry and Cellphone mediated Training written by Dennis Makau and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Semi-commercial smallholder dairy farmers in rural Kenya derive over 50% of their household income and livelihoods from dairy production; but they are faced with numerous challenges that constrain optimal growth and milk production of their calves and cows, respectively, with little research to address these challenges. The objectives of this research on semi-commercial smallholder farms (SDFs) were: 1) to determine the factors associated with weight gain in dairy calves and heifers on semi-commercial SDFs (cross-sectional study); 2) to determine the effects of nutritional advice and diet supplementation with Calliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban on ADG in dairy calves on semi-commercial SDFs based on an agroforestry land management model (randomized controlled feeding trial); 3) to determine the effectiveness of using cellphone technology as a dairy management training tool on knowledge of semi-commercial SDFs (randomized controlled training trial); 4) to determine the association between daily milk production and diet supplementation with Calliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban in dairy cows on semi-commercial SDFs (randomized controlled feeding trial); 5) to assess the impact of using Calliandra and Sesbania as feed supplements for dairy cattle on family income and livelihoods during a 16-month trial period on semi-commercial SDFs based on an agroforestry land management model. Analyses in this thesis were based on a randomly selected study population of 200 semi-commercial SDFs and subsets of this study population. The entire study population of 200 farms was used for the cross-sectional study (objective 1). A random sample of 60 farms (of the 200) was used to evaluate objective 3. Another random sample of 80 farms (out of the 200) was used to evaluate objectives 2, 4& 5.

Download or read book Addressing Variation in Smallholder Farming Systems to Improve Dairy Development in Kenya written by and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Economic Considerations for Smallholder cattle Milk and Meat Production and Merketing written by and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Future of Livestock Industries in East and Southern Africa written by Jackson A. Kategile and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on 1993-01-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trends in smallholder livestock enterprises; The impact of the introduction of exotic cattle in East and southern Africa; Intensive animal feeding practices for optimum feed utilisation; Importance of strong research-extension linkages in increasing livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa; Research on smallholder dairy research programmes in subhumid areas; Dairy/beef production systems research programme in Malawi; Research on smallholder dairy production in coastal lowland Kenya; Smallholder dairy on-farm research in Burundi; Smallholder dairy in Ethiopia; Dual-purpose goat research in western Kenya; Contribution of crossbred goats to milk production and social welfare in Burundi; Dairy goat research and extension at Sokoine University of Agriculture (lowlands) and Mgeta (hithlands) areas of Tanzania; Dual-purpose cattle in central Tanzania; Peri-urban small-scale dairy research programme in Botswana; Research on small ruminant production systems in Zimbabwe; Disease control approaches; Economic implications of the control of East Coast fever in eastern, central and southern Africa; Immunisation of cattle against East Coast fever: experiences in Zanzibar; Sustainable control methods for ticks and tick-borne diseases in Africa; New vaccine strategies against heartwater; Economics of trypanosomiasis control: research implications; Development of smallholder dairying; Smallholder dairy production in Zambia; Smallholder dairy development in Malawi; Kenya National Dairy development project; Dairy development programme in Tanga, Tanzania; Smallholder dairy development programme in resettled and communal areas in Zimbabwe; Development of smallholder dairying in Zanzibar; Marketing options for livestock products: a total systems cum-managerial perspective; Other production systems; Group ranch concept and practice in Kenya with special emphasis on Kajiado District; Introduction of dairy cattle production systems in soil conservation areas; Wool and mohair production in Lesotho; Synthesis of constraints to livestock research and development and recommendations.

Download or read book Blueprints for Tropical Dairy Farming written by John Moran and published by CSIRO PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2017-01-20 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Blueprints for Tropical Dairy Farming provides insight into the logistics, infrastructure and management required for the development of small and large dairy farms in tropical developing countries. Farmers will learn how to improve the welfare, milk quality and productivity of their dairy herds. This book complements author John Moran’s five previous books on the principles of tropical dairy farming. The manual covers a wide range of topics related to ensuring the sustainability of dairy production systems in tropical developing countries, such as South and East Asia, Africa and Central America. It also provides guidelines for the best management practices of large-scale, more intensive dairy systems. While smallholder farms are the major suppliers of milk in the tropics, many larger farms are becoming established throughout the tropics to satisfy the increasing demands for fresh milk. Blueprints for Tropical Dairy Farming will be a valuable resource for farmers and stockpeople who want to improve the productive performance of their dairy herds, farm advisers who can assist farmers to achieve this aim, educators who develop training programs for farmers or who train dairy advisers in the basics of dairy production technology, and other stakeholders in tropical dairy production, such as local agribusiness, policy makers and research scientists. National and international agencies will learn new insights into the required long-term logistics for regional dairy development, while potential investors will acquire knowledge into intensive tropical dairy farming.

Download or read book The Case of Smallholder Dairying in Eastern Africa written by Margaret Ngigi and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2005 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economy of sub-Saharan Africa. A feature of particular significance about the region is that the majority of households are heavily dependent on agriculture as their major source of livelihood. Smallholder agriculture is the principal producer of staple foods and cash crops, accounting for very large shares of national production and marketed output. For the respective countries, therefore, the performance of smallholder agriculture has crucial implications for the overall economic development process including the alleviation of rural poverty. The demands created by steadily increasing populations, and the pressing need to increase agricultural productivity means that these countries must continuously adopt methods to intensify agricultural production. Livestock production is an important consideration in the agricultural development of the region. Livestock, and especially cattle, have historically played multiple roles both in economic life and in socio-cultural traditions of African people. Cattle have been valued not simply as a source of food (milk, blood and meat) and hide but also as a visible form of wealth and a source of social prestige. In certain parts of the region, cattle still provide a valuable source of draft and traction power both for the plough and for transportation carts whereas in Arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL), cattle still provide a valuable security against famine. Traditionally, cattle were a valuable item in the payment of bride price while beef was a valued food item in ceremonies. Moreover, cattle manure is still valued as a fire-fuel and building material in ASAL whilst in arable areas it is valued as a fertilizer. In brief, cattle have retained their multiple roles among the African people. The relative importance of each role, however, varies with production and ecosystems (Freeland 1998; Fitzhugh 1998). In the high potential areas, the economic importance of the cow has increasingly shifted to commercial milk production while at the same time retaining the complementary role of sustaining soil fertility for sustainable agricultural production. In such area, increasing population pressure interacting with the need to sustain soil fertility has driven the change in production structure with dairying becoming an important component of agricultural production. Eastern Africa is Africa's most promising region for dairy production. The region is predominantly rural, with over 80 per cent of its inhabitants deriving its livelihood heavily from agriculture. It holds over 40 percent of Africa's cattle resource of about 222 million (FAOSTAT). This study looks at the development of dairy industry in two east African countries - Kenya and Uganda (Figure 1). From the early 1910s, Kenya has developed a dairy industry that ranks among the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. The industry is especially noted for its smallholder base. Uganda, on the other hand, has a large unexploited potential for dairying. In order to highlight special aspects of the respective country's industry, the study looks at the countries in turns. The study seeks to take a historical look at the respective dairy industries with a view to identifying major turning points in their respective developments. We then apply the DE-A-R framework in analyzing the circumstances surrounding respective turning points, including the socio-political forces that influenced the specific forms of change. Our purpose is to identify the forces, and key actors, that have driven changes in the systems, and to understand the impact these changes have had on the overall production, on smallholder incomes and on the environment by comparing across countries. We hope to identify key ingredients necessary for achieving successful smallholder dairy growth elsewhere.

Download or read book Livestock and Wealth Creation written by E. Owen and published by 5m Books Ltd. This book was released on 2020-11-22 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique report involving 105 contributors from 26 countries provides invaluable information concerning livestock keeping and poverty alleviation in developing countries.

Download or read book Handbook of Livestock Statistics for Developing Countries written by International Livestock Research Institute and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Status and Prospects for Smallholder Milk Production written by Torsten Hemme and published by Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). This book was released on 2010 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Milk production is an important livestock-sector activity and it is estimated that nearly 150 million farm households throughout the world are engaged in milk production.

Download or read book Tropical Dairy Farming written by John Moran and published by Landlinks Press. This book was released on 2005-12-08 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical Dairy Farming is a manual designed for use by dairy production advisors working in tropical areas, especially in South-East Asia. It aims to increase the productivity of small holder dairy farmers in the humid tropics by improving the feeding management of their livestock. It shows how to provide dairy cows with cost-effective feeds that match small holder farming systems and discusses the major obstacles to improving feeding management in the humid tropics. The author shows the benefits and drawbacks of various feed components and the calculation of balanced diets based mainly on forages combined with some supplementary feeding. Diseases and problems associated with unbalanced diets are also covered, as well as important information on growing and conserving quality forages as silage. The book draws on examples from a variety of countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, East Timor and the Philippines.

Download or read book Bovine Laminitis and Lameness written by Paul R. Greenough and published by Elsevier Health Sciences. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States. Laminitis and lameness are the most significant diseases afflicting cattle. BOVINE LAMINITIS AND LAMENESS: A HANDS ON APPROACH PROVIDES veterinarians, researchers and cattle producers with an invaluable and handy resource for managing these problems. With a focus on investigation and control of lameness at the herd level, this book offers guidance on containing situations before they become severe problems within the herd. Based on the most recent research, it also explains how animal behaviour and inadequate production management play important roles in increasing prevalence of lameness and other metabolic diseases. Written specifically for people who work with cattle, the book addresses the problem of lameness to help them advise on incidents of herd lameness Includes detailed information on the anatomy of the foot as well as the pathology of the region and all conditions affecting the feet of cattle Features research on the recent advances in livestock production technologies that have implications for causing lameness Over 450 colour images are used to illustrate many disease-producing lesions and add clarity to many other topics Accessible content with concise and comprehensive descriptions makes finding important information easy Colour coded boxes in each chapter highlight vital information in 3 areas: Key Concepts, Technical Comments, and Glossary terms

Download or read book Economic considerations for smallholder cattle milk and meat production and marketing I Economic Policies Supporting Institutions marketing and demand written by Brokken, Ray F. and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Sustainable Livelihoods and Food and Nutrition Security of Kenyan Smallholder Farm Women written by Colleen G. Walton and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is limited scientific information on relationships among smallholder dairy group membership duration, sustainable livelihoods, food and nutrition security in developing countries, and whether nutrition education of women dairy farmers enhances the nutritional benefits of being a dairy group member. The objectives of this thesis research were: 1) to identify associations among sustainable livelihood (SL) measures and dairy group membership duration; 2) to identify determinants of food and nutrition security; 3) to determine effects of a nutrition education intervention; and 4) to explore factors influencing food choices to help explain intervention results. A cross sectional survey was used to collect data from smallholder farmers in Kenya. Wakulima Dairy (WDL) members (n=88), across four membership duration groups (1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10+ years), and non-members (n=23) were interviewed about SL assets (human capital e.g. education, household size; physical capital, e.g. livestock, consumer assets; natural capital e.g. land holdings; social capital e.g. women's group affiliation), and outcomes (e.g. income, food and nutrition security). Members and non-members were randomly assigned to nutrition education intervention and control groups and re-interviewed five months post-intervention to assess nutrition security and factors influencing food choices. SL assets and outcomes were described and associations among these measures and membership duration examined. Determinants of food and nutrition security were identified among SL measures. Pre- and post-intervention nutrition knowledge and diet quality indices were compared and examined for an interaction of membership and intervention status. vi Dairy herd size, per-cow daily milk production, and HFS were intermediate for the one-to-three year WDL members, and higher among the greater-than-three year members. Enhanced well-being of the greater-than-three year members was suggested by improved household characteristics (e.g. accessible water, latrine, floor construction), and may result from dairy income, although identification of causal relationships is limited by the cross-sectional approach. Higher odds of HFS was associated with milk production however, average milk production was low (6.5 kg/cow/day). HFS was also significantly associated with women's group affiliation, greater-than-primary education, smaller household size, and consumer asset holdings. WDL member women had higher milk and energy intakes, dietary diversity, and prevalence of overweight-status compared to non-member women. Longer membership duration was associated positively with milk-source nutrient intakes and percent energy from animal source foods (%ASF). Dietary diversity was positively associated with women's group membership and not with milk productivity or HFS. Diet quality measures, although better for WDL members, demonstrated micronutrient deficient diets. Nutrition education may help address inadequate micronutrients intakes for members and non-member women as demonstrated by a high proportion of intervention-group women that adopted strategies to increase iron and zinc bioavailability. Intervention results for dietary diversity and intakes of vitamins A and C were dependent on WDL membership status. Greater dietary diversity was found for intervention group women that were WDL members. In contrast, higher intakes of vii vitamin A and C were found for intervention group women that were not WDL members. Overall, WDL members had strengthened livelihood measures particularly after 3 years. The intermediate status of the 1-3 years of members may be significant in setting realistic measurable development project goals. Findings provide evidence of the need to improve diet quality.

Download or read book ICT in Agriculture Updated Edition written by World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2017-06-27 with total page 658 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Information and communication technology (ICT) has always mattered in agriculture. Ever since people have grown crops, raised livestock, and caught fish, they have sought information from one another. Today, ICT represents a tremendous opportunity for rural populations to improve productivity, to enhance food and nutrition security, to access markets, and to find employment opportunities in a revitalized sector. ICT has unleashed incredible potential to improve agriculture, and it has found a foothold even in poor smallholder farms. ICT in Agriculture, Updated Edition is the revised version of the popular ICT in Agriculture e-Sourcebook, first launched in 2011 and designed to support practitioners, decision makers, and development partners who work at the intersection of ICT and agriculture. Our hope is that this updated Sourcebook will be a practical guide to understanding current trends, implementing appropriate interventions, and evaluating the impact of ICT interventions in agricultural programs.