I’m very new in Kenya dairy farming and looking forward to do it better. i wish you could provide with information on how to use urea to increase protein content in my fodder, as well as where i can get it. Still if possible kindly let me have a formula of how make home made dairy meal.

ANSWER

Urea can be used to improve the digestibility and nitrogen level of cop residues of cereals such as maize, rice, wheat and sorghum. The
recommended ratio for treating the residue is using about 60 grams of urea for every 1 kg of maize stover. The water should be in the same ratio as the stover being treated. For example, if you have 400kg of stover, use 400 liters of water and 24kg urea.

Urea can be bought from most Agrovet (animal feeds’ shops).

Please note: There is risk of poisoning the cow if too much urea used. Kindly be very cautious.

Instead of using urea to improve forage quality of crop residues, you may also consider doing the following;

1. Supplement with concentrates like cottonseed or sunflower seed cakes
2. Chop into small pieces and sprinkle with salt to increase acceptability
3. Soak in molasses overnight to increase palatability and provide energy

HOME MADE DAIRY MEAL

Advantages of homemade supplement in Kenyan Dairy Farming

• Same quality as commercial dairy meal
• Inexpensive compared to commercial dairy meal
• Acceptable to the cow
• Easy to handle and process.

High yielder dairy supplement

To make 100 kg of the supplement use:

• 68 kg energy feeds
• 30 kg protein feed
• 2 kg minerals.

For example:

• 50 kg maize germ
• 16 kg wheat pollard
•  2 kg molasses
• 14 kg cotton seed cake
• 12 kg lucerne hay
• 4 kg fish meal.

Hope the above information is of help to you. Kindly let me hear from you soon.

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Land preparation involves loosening the soils and adding compost or manure. The passion fruit plant requires well drained, well ventilated and fertile soils to grow. The passion fruit plant also requires enough water to grow. Preparation should ideally be done a month before transplanting.

The vines are planted on the prepared field at least ten feet apart. Transplanting should ideally be done in an overcast day when the weather is cool. If the passion fruit is grafted, the graft should be well above the ground to maintain the disease resistance advantage. The vines should be supported with wooden props or wire trellises at least seven feet high. The support should be strong enough to hold the crop for its productive span usually 3 to 5 years. Tall trees could also form support though this is more ideal for the yellow variety of passion fruit.

In passion fruit farming in Africa Maintenance of the vine yard is of utmost importance to getting high yields and longer crop per plant. Dressing with fertilizer high potassium and calcium is key especially when deficiencies are observed. Magnesium is also important but lesser so than the former two nutrients. Too much nitrate will cause premature falling of the fruit though it is required for good fruit yield and about 900 grams per plant is optimal. Fertilizer ((10-5-20 NPK) is ideally applied at a rate of 1360 grams per plant 4 times a year for a continuous yield. Water is of vital importance to the vines. Dry vines tend to collapse and dry up prematurely.

Water requirements are especially high when the fruit is approaching maturity and approximately 8-12 liters of water will be required per vine of passion fruit, it is important to note that with adequate water, the vines would yield fruit continuously especially in Africa where the winter is less severe. After attaining the age of two years the passion fruit vine should be pruned. Failure to prune would lead to lower flowering rate and hence lowered yield from the vines. Pruning should be done once a year after the second year.  The passion fruit farming in Africa has little known pests and diseases. Common among them are nematode infections, and attacks by tobacco white fly, cut worms, and beetles.

Passion fruits can either be picked from the vines or let to fall on the ground once they are ready. The former method is more preferred since the fruit is said to lose some of its nutritional value if it falls to the ground. If picked for the export market, the fruit should be picked at the moment it turns from green to greenish purple and before it wrinkles.

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Most mango species are grown from the seeds though for disease control, higher yields and faster maturity. For a modern Mango farming in Africa, the grafted mangoes would be ideal. The article will not deal with the details of grafting but will concentrate on the growing of already prepared seedlings from reputable sources.

We begin with the soil preparation for the mango farm. Soil should be well drained and fertile. It is important to note that the soil depth should be at least three meters so as to allow space for the root system, therefore shallow soils and rocky areas do not foster mango farming. The soil should be loose and holes of 90cm X 90cm X 100cm for planting should be done with a spacing of between 8 meters and 12 meters between the trees depending on climate with the latter being for dyer areas. Compost should be mixed with the soil dug from the holes and some put in the holed to be used for planting. Plant the seedling into the hole and put the soil already mixed with compost into the hole and make the soil firm on the seedling.

For the first year or two of the mango plant’s life, watering is very important. The plant should be given at least 3 liters of water every three days to keep it growing. Intercropping is fine for the first few years before the mango tree is able to produce fruit and become economically beneficial. Weeding should be done thoroughly below the plant’s canopy. Pruning should be done regularly to maintain the height of the tree at one meter and also to allow very few stems to grow, maybe 5 or 6 so as to increase yield. Mangoes are damaged by wind so wind breakers are important to protect the mango trees.

A mango farm will produce the first crop after 4 or 5 years. It is important to keep the mango trees well ventilated and the area around the tree clean to get maximum yield and prevent diseases and pests. Yields can be greatly improved by harvesting a third of the mangoes in a tree at every particular moment so as to increase the size of the mangoes. Mangoes can be protected from pests by smoking the trees regularly. Smoking also assists in flowering. Some of the common pests affecting the mango farming in Africa include, the fruit fly, black fly, white fly, aphid, bugs and seed weevil. Mango farming in Africa could affected by diseases and conditions like scales, Anthracnose, Powdery mildew, Bacterial black spot, and Stem-end rot among others.

Harvest can be done from 5 years onwards with the optimal production being at between 8-12 years. Harvesting can be done for up to 20 years before the mango tree becomes economically unviable.

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The cowpeas farming in Africa can be done in almost any type of soil. However for better yields, well-drained and fertile soils are ideal for the effective farming of the cowpeas. Land should be well prepared before planting and seeds planted directly to the fields should have spacing of between 30 to 40 cm. Depending on the fertility of the soil and the atmospheric temperatures. Intercropping can be done with maize, millet or sorghum.

When intercropped the spacing may be more than when monocropped.  The cowpeas are seldom irrigated but are mostly grown using rain or residual moisture from harvested rice. Weeding should be done biweekly for the one and a half month period after planting since weeds are known to reduce the yield of the cowpeas by up to 60% and sometimes more especially if the crop is planted on the same plot in subsequent seasons, later however the cowpeas are known to suppress any infestation of weed. Cowpeas do not respond to fertilizer so none should be added. Manure or compost can be used for the much depleted soils.

The most common pests for the cowpeas farming in Africa include, aphis, beetles, and  thrips. The aphis attacks the whole plant sucking the sap off it, the aphis also acts as a vector for viral diseases. The plant if young dies and for mature crops the yield is greatly reduced. This can be avoided by getting pest resistant varieties or by use of neem. Beetles feed on the flowers and leaves and inflict a lot of damage to the crop. The beetle menace is complicated to deal with since the larvae of the beetle provide protection against pests like the grasshopper. Adult beetles should be physically destroyed though protective clothing should be worn.

Thrips are the most dangerous pest of the cowpeas farming in Africa. They cause total crop failure the adults and nymphs of the thrips cause damage to the terminal buds. This leads to the crop not flowering and therefore not producing.  The remedy to this is intercropping with sorghum or use of resistant varieties. The common diseases of the cowpeas include the mosaic disease affecting the leaves by forming mosaic shapes the crops fail to mature leading to crop failure. To deal with the disease, seed selection is important as well as crop rotation with non leguminous plants. Anthracnose is a significant cowpeas disease attacking the stems, leaves and even the pods leading to browning of the plant and death of the plant. The disease can be prevented by use of crop rotation with non leguminous plants, use of certified seeds and practicing field hygiene.

Leaves are harvested when tender at about 3 weeks after planting of the crop and weekly thereafter until harvest. Green pods are harvested about 13 days after flowering. The dry crop is usually very difficult to harvest as the pods shutter and scatter the grain.

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What is baby corn? Baby corn is the ears of the corn/maize plant harvested before they develop seeds. However, there are special seeds used to produce baby corn as opposed to the maize seeds commonly used for maize production.

To grow baby corn well drained, ventilated and fertile soils are required. Corn takes a very heavy toll on soil fertility and therefore a grower of baby corn should prepare the soils by adding nutrients by use of compost, manure or fertilizers. The ideal pH for corn growing ranges from 5.8 to 7. Once the land has been adequately prepared, the seeds are planted in rows separated by 90cm and 30 cm between individual plants in a row.

Baby corn is planted at a depth of 3-6 cm depending on moisture and temperatures of soil, deeper for dryer and less warm conditions. The most important nutrient for baby corn farming is nitrates; phosphates and potassium are required for seeding of corn which would not be of concern for a baby corn grower. Water is very important throughout the growth of the baby corn. For baby corn farming in Africa, irrigation is important to growing the baby corn till it attains maturity. Weeds should be kept in check throughout since the corn crop is sensitive to competition from weeds and yields maybe greatly reduced and the crop growth and development may be stunted.  Mechanical removal of weeds is recommended since most export markets are sensitive to chemical use during growth of crops.

Some of the pests that affect baby corn farming in Africa include, Cutworms, Grasshoppers and locusts, and The African armyworm. The cut worm attacks mainly the young crop and cut the crop at ground level before making holes in the initial leaves and removing sections of the leaves’ margin the cut worm may be put on check by eliminating weeds early, and  ploughing early to expose the worms from the ground .

The grasshopper and locust cause widespread damage to the crop by attacking every part of the crop and preventing pollination. Grass hoppers and locusts can be controlled by use of their predators e.g. blister beetle larvae, ants, domestic birds, allow for plant cover since the grass hoppers lay eggs on soil. The African army worm is by far the worst pest to attack corn crop. The worm completely eats up the crop and although it is a rare pest, it can cause a lot of losses to a baby corn farmer. It can be controlled by practicing good hygiene in the fields.

Baby corn matures in between 45-60 days depending on the weather and environmental conditions. The ears should be harvested when they are about 5-10 cm long and 8-16 mm in diameter at the base. Harvest should be done about 1 to 3 days after the silks appear.

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For dryer parts of Africa, it is recommended that a cross breed of a animals that are resistant to heat, ticks and can tolerate little water be chosen. A good example is the Sahiwal Friesian breed crossed from the Sahiwal from Pakistan and Holstein breed from Australia specially designed for tropical climate and have a potential of producing over 2500 Kg of milk during one lactation period. Important factors to consider before keeping livestock include availability of space, availability of food, commitment to make the venture profitable, veterinary support services and availability of water. After selecting a good cow for production of milk and selecting quality semen for insemination, the dairy production process begins.

It is important to consider the diet of the cow during the gestation. The animal needs a lot of iron, calcium and protein rich diets during this time. The animal will require extra nutritious meals as it nears calving and after calving so as to ensure good quality and quantity of milk. It has been proven that if dietary requirements of the cross bred varieties are not met, then production goes down and it may be difficult to recover. Apart from concentrates, which may be used to supplement the fodder, cassava leaves and stems and legume stems and leaves are known to contain high nutrient levels for milk production.

Care should be taken with legumes since they are known to contain some poison and therefore should not be given in very large quantities. For very dry and low quality roughage, the straw could be treated with urea. 4 Kg of urea is mixed with water and sprayed over 100 Kg of feed to improve nitrogen content for protein. Care for disease prevention is important to get good returns on investment from a dairy animal especially the cross bred cow. It is best to discuss the unique disease prevention measures to take with the local veterinary. Prevention of disease is more important than treating conditions already manifest since the effects of a disease may go on for a long time after the manifestation have been healed. Production of the animal may take longer to bounce back after the period of illness.

Apart from vaccinations some measures to foster the well being of a dairy animal include, providing plenty of clean drinking water, providing good shelter to keep animals away from the harsh weather conditions, regular light exercise for the animal, providing nutritious and adequate food even when the animal is not lactating, cleaning of the animals resting and feeding area and disinfecting the area where the animal’s stall.

Where signs of disease has been detected even if they are very minor, the veterinarian should be called immediately to advise and commence treatment. Cross bred cattle are very expensive and they should be given good care to produce optimally.

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Turkey farming in Africa is better when they are bred using the intensive method of raring as opposed to the free range system. The advantage of using the intensive method where the turkeys are reared in an enclosed space is easy production monitoring and also reduction in disease occurrences. The main disadvantage of this method is that the turkeys will have to be given adequate food since they do not have a chance to forage for food. A fenced open space would create good room for intensive rising of turkey but the enclosure should be away from a lot of disturbance since turkeys are known to be very tense birds and slight variations in the environment can cause them stress.

The night shelter for the birds should be dim lit to prevent panic stampedes due to fright which lead to broken limbs and sometimes even death. The Poults (young turkeys) from the time of hutching to about 4 weeks should be under brooding. The brooding temperature for day 0 should be about 35?C and should be reduced weekly by 3?C weekly. A space of about 2 square feet per bird is required during this period. The floor of the brooding area should be covered with litter material e.g. saw dust starting with a cover of 1.5 inches and gradually increased to 4 inches. The litter material should be changed frequently to prevent flaking.

The diet for turkey farming in Africa would include, green matter, grains and other foods. Turkeys may need to be supplemented for proteins since they require a lot for their growth and calcium to create a strong bone structure especially for their legs. Commercial feeds can be us.ed as supplements for the green matter and grain in the turkey diets. Care should be taken to maintain the diet for turkeys and changes should be introduced gradually since these are very sensitive birds. Enough food should be given but not too much since research as shown that fat turkeys may be more prone to disease than the lean ones. F

orced feeding may be necessary for poults (young turkeys) after hatching for the first few days since the poults have been known to starve due to poor eyesight and nervousness. The poults can be given a diet of milk mixed with water at a rate of 100ml per liter of water and a boiled egg for every ten poults. The mortality rate of the poults is usually high if forced feeding is not applied; expected mortality is about 10% for the first 4 weeks. Feeding should be done from the troughs and not from the ground to reduce infections.

The turkey will start laying eggs after 30 weeks of its life and will continue lying for at least two years from the time of first lay. The turkey lays eggs mostly in the afternoon. A turkey can lay up to 100 eggs in one year. Turkey meat is usually low in fat and has very high protein content. A turkey can grow to between 8 to 20 kg.

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Organic Farming in Africa is farming with a strong emphasis on maintaining soil fertility, rotating crops and using natural methods to control pests. It is focused on maintaining the entire ecological system. Organically raised livestock for example, are fed completely on greens and hay.

Organic farming does not include for example, injecting animals with hormones, antibiotics on animals, synthetic pesticides or fertilizers with crops, and synthetic hormones to cause animals to grow faster.

Organic farming is not well developed in most countries in Africa. Some farmers engage in certified organic production so that they can export farm produce to western countries. In some African countries however, there is a growing local demand for organic farm produce. These countries include Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Uganda and Tanzania.

Organic techniques are also used to improve on food production, to help farmers escape poverty, to improve the fertility of the soil, to reduce desertification, to promote growing of indigenous crops, to maintain biodiversity and to fight global warming.  Here are three general incentives for practicing organic farming:

• Soil Health for Organic Farming in Africa

Organic farming demands a strong emphasis on maintaining and improving soil quality. The most important aspect of organic farming is maintaining and improving the quality of soil. This means soil that is fertile and biologically active. By practicing crop rotation which includes legumes, farmers can ensure that the soil has nitrogen. It can also ensure that the soil is conducive for soil-enriching microorganisms to thrive. Organic farmers can add

manure, composted manure or natural lime to enrich the soil. The manure has to be added more than four months before harvesting so that it has no negative impact on the products.

In Nigeria which is the most highly populated African country, organic farming is gaining popularity. One interesting initiative to come out of Nigeria was the development of an organic fertilizer made from waste from urban centers.

In Mozambique, one farmer opted to leave maize stalks on his farm instead of clearing them at the end of the season. The maize stalks rot in the farm to become manure. This method has seen him succeed in producing higher yields. It has been widely reported as a uniquely African method of organic farming. Some local farming methods that are no longer feasible have to be abandoned, for example preparing land for planting by burning it.

• Pest Control for Organic Farming in Africa

Organic farmers tend to avoid chemical pesticides. They instead try to work with natural means such as using the natural enemies of the pest. For example, preparing natural insect pathogens can help to control insect pests. Botanical insecticides are a great example of a last, resort intervention. Farmers also practice prevention by ensuring that only plants that are free of disease are used as seedlings or seeds. They rely on maintaining the natural equilibrium of things. In horticulture, straw is used for mulching.

• Profitability for Organic Farming in Africa

IN Western countries, organic farm products fetch a premium price. This helps to make sure that organic farming is more profitable. Most African countries with a few exceptions e.g. South Africa have not put in place certification systems which would help consumers to tell the difference. It is therefore difficult to tell how well such a system would work. In most countries however, a lot of farming activities are de facto organic, and some do fetch a premium price. Free range chicken and eggs are one example. Most consumers consider them tastier and are happy to pay a little more for them.

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• Choosing the Right Breed of Pigs

Generally, pig farmers are advised to stick to breeds that are widely accepted by the buyers of meat such as Large White, Duroc etc. Consult meat processors to find out what breeds are better for commercial production.

While farmers can maintain exotic breeds that mature faster, it is important to also maintain some local breeds that are more hardy and able to survive in the local environment. Local breeds are much cheaper to maintain, especially for small scale farmers.

Therefore crossbreeding is an ideal situation for both commercial and small scale farming.

• Stocking Up

It is not necessary to breed your own pigs. You can just as well use artificial insemination on your sows or even quicker – buy the piglets!

A sow can raise probably about 20 piglets in a single year, and you can have one boar to serve up to 12 sows. Remember to take care of the sow while she is lactating by providing enough food and water and also ensuring that the pen is made in such a way that she cannot smother her piglets.

A sow for breeding has to be 5-6 months old. She cannot be less than 100 kg. After the sow has raised piglets 6 to 8 times, she can be culled.

• Feeding

The main idea of running a successful pig farming project is ensuring that the pigs grow big in a short time, and that the feed is converted to muscle. It is also advisable to make sure that the pigs do not have too much fat because then the quality of meat produced will be too low.

Many farmers raise free range pigs perhaps due to lack of resources. Pigs that scavenge tend to get a more balanced diet but they gain weight at a slower rate which is not good for the farmer. Where possible it is good to feed the animals in-house so that they add weight faster and avoid diseases as well as worm infestation. Other pigs are either tethered or confined in a pig pen. Free range pigs eat grass, cereals or feed from dumpsters.  Most farmers in East Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and other parts of Africa practice it due to resource constraints.

Intensive farmers have to provide all the nutrients that the pig needs using feed concentrates that are fully balanced.

• The Pig Pen

Build a pig pen in such a way that it is easy to clean. The floor should stay dry, there should be bedding and fresh air should flow through.

The fence around the pen has to be 4 feet high at the very least. This will make sure the pigs cannot jump out of the pen and run away when they are restless!

The site chosen for the pig pen should not be on a steep slope. The pig pen should be built in a way that allows easy drainage.  Using concrete slabs is a great idea because they are easy to clean. The floor of the pen should be padded with straw – especially the areas where the pigs will sleep. Use strong building materials. Pigs like digging around and they can destroy a weak structure.

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• Improving soil fertility

Improved soil fertility is one of the main pillars of sustainable farming, because it ensures that future generations can get the same productivity from our soils, if not better. Soil fertility is increased and maintained by use of organic fertilizers, through use of cover crops, agro forestry, mulching, and multiple cropping among other methods.

The life of micro organisms within the soil is very important because it softens and aerates the soil while making it more fertile and easier to plough. In some places, legumes are grown as cover crops which are then cut down and ploughed into the soil to make it more fertile.

• Pest Control

Pest control is best done by avoiding complete reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Better pest control Conventional farming uses chemical pesticides to control pests. Often, using chemical fertilizers and pesticides do not work in the long run. Pests become resistant and the land becomes unproductive without constant application of fertilizers which are expensive for ordinary farmers. Farmers can control pests using their natural enemies, or by rotating crops or mixing crops, and also using biological control mechanisms. These methods are cheaper and more efficient.

• Soil Erosion

Sustainable farming in Africa must it a priority to prevent soil erosion. Erosion of top soil is probably the major cause of reduced productivity in the land. Farmers can use contour planting and bunds, check dams, plug gullies and plant cover crops to ensure soil is not washed away when it rains. Farmers have to plant trees around their farms to control soil erosion.

• Conserving water

In almost every African country, water is becoming more and scarcer. Planting trees and other methods of ensuring that water is conserved must be implemented. Farmers can consider using more efficient irrigation methods, such as drip irrigation. Harvesting rain water for use in irrigation is also more economical than diverting water from a stream or a borehole.

• Local Inputs

Just deciding to make use of local farming inputs can make a huge difference in farming. For example, using pig manure to fertilize a fish pond or a garden. Often, farmers do not fully appreciate the value of the resources they have around them. Efficient use of animal manure is often not used. Besides, many farmers neglect indigenous food crops which grow better than exotic varieties of crops which are not well adapted to the local climate.

• Use of Indigenous knowledge

Most indigenous peoples in Africa have a body of knowledge accumulated about the plants, animals, soils, and ecosystems around their immediate surroundings. This knowledge is mostly not codified or recorded and hence cannot be shared with others and made use of.

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