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Kenyan dairy project utilizes hedges for protein fodder

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Title Kenyan dairy project utilizes hedges for protein fodder
 
Creator Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
 
Description The Kenyan National Dairy Development Project has started a programme to raise milk yields by introducing protein-rich tree species as hedges for cattle fodder.



Dairy farmers in Kenya have long had a problem of irregular supplies and poor qualify of purchased feed concentrates. Now they can establish and manage fodder hedges themselves, providing crude protein to complement or substitute for commercial concentrates. The participating farms have an average size of 3.0 hectares (6.5 acres), of which 40% is used to produce roughage for two or three cows. Daily milk production averages 8kg.



The farmers' basic knowledge of fodder trees enabled them to raise their own seedlings in small farm nurseries. Four species were used: Calliandra calothyrsus, Leucaena leucocephalia, Sesbania sesban and Gliricidia septum. By July 1989 there were 252 established hedges (483 are planned).



Milk production has been observed to increase after feeding on fodder hedges: major testing is yet to be carried out but results are encouraging. When analysis is complete, a final package can be developed to introduce Fodder hedges into dairying on a large scale.



Bert Voskull Project Manager NDDP, PO Box 25227, Nairobi - KENYA
The Kenyan National Dairy Development Project has started a programme to raise milk yields by introducing protein-rich tree species as hedges for cattle fodder. Dairy farmers in Kenya have long had a problem of irregular supplies and poor qualify of...
 
Date 2014-10-08T13:16:21Z
2014-10-08T13:16:21Z
1990
 
Type News Item
 
Identifier CTA. 1990. Kenyan dairy project utilizes hedges for protein fodder . Spore 29. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
1011-0054
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/45380
 
Language en
 
Relation Spore, Spore 29
 
Publisher CTA
 
Source Spore