Tips on proper usage of quarter acre and making dairy feeds

DYEING CHICKS

I have noticed some poultry farmers paint their free-range chicks red or purple to protect them from predators like hawks. My question is, does this work?

Kweya Ayanga

Painting chicks with dye is a safeguard against predators like hawks and eagles that are a threat to free-range poultry. Eagles tend to take off when they see painted chicks and the colours also resemble some ground cover, which helps camouflage the chicks.

As long as the dye is non-toxic, the chickens’ health is not affected.

The dye can be injected in the incubating egg or applied using a tiny brush within three to seven days of hatching when feathers are still soft and can easily absorb the light paint that comes off as chicks shed their fluff and the feathers grow in a normal colour.

Felix Akatch Opinya,

Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.

BEST RABBIT BREEDS

I am Marvin Nandwa from Kakamega County. I would like to venture into rabbit farming as an agribusiness and would like to inquire the following:

1) What are the best breeds to rear for commercial farming and where can I get them?

2) How long does a rabbit take to mature?

3) Can you connect me to any available market in the county?

Rabbit farming is a promising venture due to reducing land sizes, increasing nutritional awareness and high demand for lean and white meat.

Other than meat, rabbits are also a good source of high quality pelts, fibre and organic fertiliser.

However, pelts and fibre production in Kenya is uncommon since it is practised by very few farmers, if any. Rabbit breeds can be classified based on weight, size or their products.

When using weight or size, there are heavy breeds for example Flemish Giant, which weighs more than 5kg, medium breeds for example, New Zealand and California White, which weigh about 3 to 5kg, light breeds like the Dutch, which weigh about 2 to 3kg and the dwarf breeds that weigh up to 1.5kg when mature.

When classified based on products, there are meat or broiler breeds and fibre breeds. When considering the best broiler rabbit to keep, it is advisable to rear the medium breeds.

This is because they attain maturity faster, are prolific, have high meat to bone ratio and are easy to manage compared to the heavy breeds.

Rabbits attain maturity depending on the breed, feeds and general management.

However, with optimal management, medium-sized rabbits can attain maturity at about four to six months, with the larger breeds taking longer.

The market for rabbit meat is inexhaustible particularly in urban areas where people are continuously gaining awareness of health and nutritive value of rabbit meat.

James Chege Wangui,

Department of Animal Sciences,

Egerton University.

HOW TO FEED A LACTATING COW

How do you calculate total feeds given to an individual cow depending on milk produced because I feed mine a lot but it is not increasing yields.

Farmer

Feeds account for up to 60 per cent of the total production cost in dairy farming.

Therefore, it is good production practice to know how to calculate nutrient requirement of an animal given her demands for maintenance, growth, reproduction and production.

Feed intake is computed on dry matter basis after removal of moisture content or water from the feed.

So we talk of dry matter intake which is the amount of feed a cow consumes after all the water has been subtracted from the wet feed. Dry matter is that portion of the feed containing the nutrients which the animal needs for different functions.

The dry matter intake is computed on the basis of the body weight of an animal. For a Friesian cow weighing 600kg, with dry matter intake of 5 per cent, the dry matter intake requirement will be (5/100 x 600) 30kg.

When feeding only silage which is 60 per cent dry matter, the amount of feed required will be 50kg of silage for the animal to get the 30kg dry matter because 60kg dry matter is in 100kg of silage (30 x 100/60).

Let’s compute napier required to feed five dairy cows each weighing on average 480kg live weight and producing approximately 15 litres of milk per day.

For each cow, the dry matter requirement will be (5x480kg)/100 = 24kg. But since the napier grass has 25 per cent dry matter, the 24kg needed will be computed from napier with 75 per cent of water.

Computing the amount of fresh napier to supply the 24kg dry matter follows that 100 per cent of the fodder as feed basis will be (100x24)/25 = 96kg. So, the farmer needs to feed his animals a total of 96kg per cow every day.

Thus, the five animals will require 80kg of fresh napier grass. I have used 5 per cent of the body weight for ease of computing. The rule of the thumb is 3 per cent of the body weight is the dry matter intake of cattle.

There are guides to use for herd feeding management. Daily ration for a dairy cow has between 14 to 18 per cent crude protein and energy of 2,800kcal (Kilocalories).

As a rule, a cow producing less than eight litres of milk per day and is feeding on good quality pastures does not need concentrates.

Above eight litres of milk a day will require concentrate supplementation. A guide is to give one kilo of good quality concentrates for every two litres of milk above eight litres a day.

Feeding high producing dairy cows require 60 per cent of forage and 40 per cent concentrates to meet the energy requirement for milk production and that percentage should be based on the dry matter.
Anthony Mugatha,

Department of Animal Science,

Egerton University.

[email protected]

ANSWER TWO

A dairy cow is fed based on live weight and level of milk production. For example, a cow weighing 500kg, producing 20 litres of milk per day should be fed at least 20kg maize silage, 2kg Rhodes hay, 10kg dairy meal and 200g salt lick per day. Provide drinking water free choice or 80 to 100 litres per day.

Dr Ambula, Department of Animal Science

Egerton University.

I HAVE INTEREST IN POULTRY FARMING

I am from Kisii County, specifically Nyamache sub county, and I have interest in poultry farming.

Please advise me where I can get information on poultry. My interest is to keep kienyeji hens or crossbreeds for faster growth.

Osoro Hesborn

The Smallholder Indigenous Chicken Improvement Programme (InCIP) at Egerton University will hold a field day in April, 2015 for poultry farmers to provide information on every aspect of production.

The specific date has not been set but get in contact with the centre officer at [email protected] or Tel: +254512217684/5 to get assisted.

Also visit our website on www.incip.org for more information.

Sophie Miyumo,

Animal Sciences Department,

Egerton University.

WHAT TO GROW ON QUARTER ACRE

I live and work in Nairobi and I have decided to do something with my quarter acre in Ndarugo.

You always encourage people to use whatever resources they have to grow crops. Unfortunately, farming from far has cost me so much in other projects. Kindly advise what I can grow. 

Carol

For you to get profit on any investment on land, your close supervision is needed. And more so if you decide on horticultural enterprise.

Maybe you will need to employ someone to manage the farm.

For quarter acre, you can increase productivity by constructing a greenhouse so that you can grow crops throughout the year.

Peter Caleb

Horticulture Scientist, Department of Crops Horticulture and Soils

Egerton University.

CAN I GROW PYRETHRUM?

I have two acres in Nyandarua County, Kipipiri. I have a passion for farming though I work in Nairobi.

What can I invest in which does not require every day attention. Can you advise someone to grow pyrethrum?

Anthony Methu

Nyandarua has good potential for horticulture, which requires daily management.

You can go into intensive farming of crops like tomatoes, potatoes or establish orchards and employ a manager to oversee your farming.

A greenhouse would be advisable so that you control environment and grow crops the whole year. The area is also good for pyrethrum.

The Ministry of Agriculture is now reviving the pyrethrum industry, thus, prospects look brighter.

But as you think about agribusiness in any crops, understand the whole value chain from sourcing inputs to marketing but the most critical is to know your market well.

Lilian Jeptanui

Crops Horticulture and Soils Department

Egerton University

KIENYEJI MASH INGREDIENTS

I am George and I would like to know what is used to make kienyeji mash and what are the ratios? Please help me out to save my 350 chickens and improve on their laying.

Farmer

A simple home-made ration for kienyeji chickens contains:

Whole maize or maize germ (45kg), wheat bran (20kg), sunflower cake or meal (20kg), omena (5kg), limestone (7.5kg) and Dicalcium phosphate (2.5kg).

Dr Ambula

Department of Animal Science

Egerton University

KUROILER FARMER

My name is Samuel. I get so much inspiration from Seeds of Gold every week.

I would like to contact poultry farmer Nicetta Gatabi from Chuka town so that I can purchase Kuroiler birds.

Samuel

Meru

I need the telephone number of Nicetta and Misheck, the Kuroiler farmers from Chuka County.

Josiah Mwaniki

I am Sarah from Nakuru and I am interested in getting Nicetta’s contact so that I can learn more from her about the Kuroilers.

I am requesting for the contact of Nicetta and her husband Mwongera of Chuka, in Meru. I would like to visit them and buy some chicks from their farm.

Farmer

I am Clement Mvoi from Mombasa and I need the contacts of Nicetta and her husband so that they can educate me more on breeding the Kuroiler chickens.

EDITOR: Talk to Nicetta and her husband on 0721459802.

PEPPER FARMING

Kindly provide me the contacts of the Indian pepper farmer in Eldoret.

Mwangi

EDITOR: Talk to him through manager Wilson on 0735737191.

MILK REVOLUTION

I need the contacts of Uplands Premium Dairy in Kiambu. Their story last week was an interesting read.

John

EDITOR: Reach the company on 0723645266. 

RABBIT BLOAT

Please pass me Charles Kimenju’s mobile contacts. I am a rabbit farmer and would like to know more from him.

Dorah Kichunju

EDITOR: Kimenju is available on 0708425100.

I NEED FINGERLINGS

Share the phone or email address of Mabro Fish Farm Enterprises in Usenge. I need fingerlings.

William Makau

EDITOR: Talk to them on 0702191181.

TREE TOMATO

I need to contact of Goerge Wambugu, the tree tomato farmer from Nyeri featured on October 11, 2014.

EDITOR: Please talk to Wambugu on 0725440904.

CHOOSING PIGS OVER HOUSES

Thank you for the article “Why I chose pigs over rental houses”.

I would like to get in touch with the farmer who was featured as I recently began pig-farming in Murang’a.  

Kiiru

EDITOR: Talk to Mwai on 0723950006.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Do you have any question or enquiry on agribusiness, marketing, logistics, processing, innovation, and technology?

Our pool of experts from Egerton University will respond to your questions with proper advice.

Please send your questions to: [email protected]. Read us online at www.nation.co.ke/seeds of gold