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Research
(Published
online: 25-01-2015)
18. Associations of farm
management practices with annual milk sales on smallholder dairy
farms in Kenya - Shauna Richards,
John VanLeeuwen, Getrude Shepelo, George Karuoya Gitau, Collins
Kamunde, Fabienne Uehlinger and Jeff Wichtel
Veterinary World, 8(1): 88-96
doi:
10.14202/vetworld.2015.88-96
Shauna
Richards:
Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College,
University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue,
Charlottetown PEI Canada, C1A 4P3;
srichards@upei.ca
John
VanLeeuwen:
Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College,
University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue,
Charlottetown PEI Canada, C1A 4P3;
jvanleeuwen@upei.ca
Getrude
Shepelo:
Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya;
gertsheps@yahoo.com
George
Karuoya Gitau:
Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya;
gkgitau@uonbi.ac.ke
Collins
Kamunde:
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College,
University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue,
Charlottetown PEI Canada, C1A 4P3;
ckamunde@upei.ca
Fabienne Uehlinger:
Department of Large
Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon SK Canada,
S7N 5B4;
f.uehlinger@usask.ca
Jeff
Wichtel: Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary
College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University
Avenue,
Charlottetown PEI Canada, C1A 4P3;
jwichtel@upei.ca
Received:
18-08-2014, Revised: 12-12-2014, Accepted: 22-12-2014, Published
online: 25-01-2015
Corresponding author:
Shauna Richards, e-mail: srichards@upei.ca
Abstract
Aim:
Cows on smallholder dairy farms (SDF) in developing countries
such as Kenya typically produce volumes of milk that are well
below their genetic potential. An epidemiological study was
conducted to determine reasons for this low milk production,
including limited use of best management practices, such as
suboptimal nutritional management.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study of 111 SDF was
performed in Nyeri County, Kenya in June of 2013 determining the
effect of cow factors, farmer demographics and farm management
practices on the volume of milk sold per cow per year (kg milk
sold/cow). In particular, the effect of feeding high protein
fodder trees and other nutritional management practices were
examined.
Results: Approximately 38% of farmers fed fodder trees, but
such feeding was not associated with volume of milk sold per cow,
likely due to the low number of fodder trees per farm. Volume of
milk sold per cow was positively associated with feeding dairy
meal during the month prior to calving, feeding purchased hay
during the past year, deworming cows every 4 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 feed
shortages was noted; volume of milk sold per cow was lower when
female farmers experienced feed shortages whereas milk sold per
cow was unaffected when male farmers experienced feed shortages.
Conclusions: These demographic and management risk factors
should be considered by smallholder dairy farmers and their
advisors when developing strategies to improve income from milk
sales and animal-source food availability for the farming
families.
Keywords: dairy cattle nutrition, management factors,
livelihood, smallholder farm
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