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This is a medium- sized
tree, often growing 10 to 20 m in height and 10 to 40 cm in diameter. It grows
in deep, free-draining soils of mildly acid reaction. It requires 1,500-3,500
mm of annual rainfall in preferably high altitude regions with very short dry
seasons mainly 1
to 3 months.
It has a protein concentrations range from 25-32 per cent.The higher tannin content of the foliage can increase bypass protein, which is important to livestock, because the protein is protected from degradation in the rumen, but available for absorption in the small intestine, which is metabolically efficient. The plant can provide fodder for up to 10 years. Cows, goats, sheep and rabbits require 5-8 kilos a day for tender meat and increased milk production of between 1 and three litres a day.
to 3 months.
It has a protein concentrations range from 25-32 per cent.The higher tannin content of the foliage can increase bypass protein, which is important to livestock, because the protein is protected from degradation in the rumen, but available for absorption in the small intestine, which is metabolically efficient. The plant can provide fodder for up to 10 years. Cows, goats, sheep and rabbits require 5-8 kilos a day for tender meat and increased milk production of between 1 and three litres a day.
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Also known as the
humming bird tree, Sesbania is a fast-growing tree, up to 3 to 5 metres. The
tree thrives in full sun and is extremely frost sensitive. It grows in a wide
range of soils from loose sands to
heavy clays and also tolerates saline soils and flooding. It is tolerant of cool highland-tropical or sub-tropical conditions, growing at up to 2,300 m altitude in Kenya.
heavy clays and also tolerates saline soils and flooding. It is tolerant of cool highland-tropical or sub-tropical conditions, growing at up to 2,300 m altitude in Kenya.
With appropriate
cutting, it persists for up to 5 years. It can be cut after the plant reaches
1-2 m in height. Delaying cutting until the plant is more than 4 m tall, or low
cutting to below 50 cm will result in plant deaths. More frequent cutting will
decrease the lifespan of the plants. Crude protein content ranges from 25-30
per cent.
Commercial value
It can be used on its own or mixed with commercial feeds. A cow requires approximately 4-6 kilos a day. Return Sh15,000-Sh20,000 a month in milk sales returns according to documented studies.
It can be used on its own or mixed with commercial feeds. A cow requires approximately 4-6 kilos a day. Return Sh15,000-Sh20,000 a month in milk sales returns according to documented studies.
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The Mulberry is a
deciduous tree that does well in Mediterranean climates with annual rainfalls
from 1500 to 2500 mm but can adapt in drier climates. It grows well on a wide
range of soils if well drained
and can tolerate some shading.
Aside from the fruit, the leaves are also highly nutritious and a valuable fodder for poultry and livestock, especially sick or high production animals such as dairy cows.
Commercial value: It conventionally costs some Sh8500 to establish a perennial pasture of Mulberry, but gives a return of Sh25,000 Sh30,000 per month from increased milk production. The tree takes 3-6 months to mature.
and can tolerate some shading.
Aside from the fruit, the leaves are also highly nutritious and a valuable fodder for poultry and livestock, especially sick or high production animals such as dairy cows.
Commercial value: It conventionally costs some Sh8500 to establish a perennial pasture of Mulberry, but gives a return of Sh25,000 Sh30,000 per month from increased milk production. The tree takes 3-6 months to mature.
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A medium sized
evergreen shrub that also helps with wind and water erosion control, land
rehabilitation and fuel wood. It does best in high rainfall areas (350-1,600 mm
a year) but can survive in areas with as low as 200 mm a year due to its deep
rooting habit, but cannot survive frost. It does well in light,
well-drained sandy soils on slopes and hillsides, but also on gravels, loams, and
limestones.
Trees can be pruned at the end of the first year to promote a
bushy,multi-stemmed habit. The plant should be maintained at a minimum one
metre. It responds well to frequent cutting, but re-growth is slow for
the first week after harvest. It can persist for up to 30 years if well managed and has been proven to meet 40-60 per cent of the nutritional requirements of animals especially of the protein responsible for increased milk production.
the first week after harvest. It can persist for up to 30 years if well managed and has been proven to meet 40-60 per cent of the nutritional requirements of animals especially of the protein responsible for increased milk production.
Commercial Value
One cow is fed 500 leaves of Tree Lucerne, which can be mixed with dairy meal or bran commercial feed or can be fed alone. A cattle consumes 6kilos in a day. It delivers an annual increase in milk production worth Sh15,000 to Sh20,000 per animal, according to research.
One cow is fed 500 leaves of Tree Lucerne, which can be mixed with dairy meal or bran commercial feed or can be fed alone. A cattle consumes 6kilos in a day. It delivers an annual increase in milk production worth Sh15,000 to Sh20,000 per animal, according to research.
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Poultry keeping is a delicate enterprise and
before engaging in production, it is important to have knowledge regarding
husbandry aspects such as hygiene practices, disease control, vaccination
program, feeding systems, housing detail and other related factors which work
together to realize a profitable venture.
Information in the following areas is handy to
guide on what is expected hence prepare for the challenges that may lie ahead.
Operational costs
A farmer needs to know the costs to be incurred
before venturing in this business.
The major costs include: -
- Housing
- Essential farm facilities,
- Cost of the foundation stock,
- Feeding costs,
- Vaccination costs
Animal production in either small or large scale
if not properly handled can lead to large losses due to the delicate nature of
the enterprise. The owner should personally get involved in management and
supervision or if the objectives are to be realized, the one who takes care
should have shared interest.
Life stages
Every animal has developmental stages with
specific requirements which a farmer should know and attend to accordingly and
separately.
Feeding Plans & Costs
Feeding costs are single major contributor the
costs of faming. Feeds should be purchased from a reputable company. The feed
should be of good quality with right proportions of the required nutrients
depending on the stage of your animal. And costs such as transport may be put
into consideration.
If a farmer cannot afford or if has the raw
materials, with good training, he can assemble ingredients in right proportions
and process them accordingly. Farmers can get trained on feed formulation in
livestock production centers in their respective districts. The aim is to
reduce the feed costs as much as it is practically possible and hence increase
the profits.
Housing
The housing should be done right depending on
the ecological conditions of where one is living to reflect the climate of the
place. If not correctly done poor housing may lead to failure and frustrations
due to high losses, frequent disease outbreak, below bar production level,
overcrowding and poor ventilation.
The house should have a right height depending
on the system adopted, right roofing, this means not construction of an
expensive house but whichever structure built should have enough space, be well
ventilated, capable on shielding birds from harsh weather conditions
Enterprise profitability
BUDGET 250 BIRDS LAYERS
Deep litter floor system
Density – 4 – 6 Birds/m2
ITEM UNIT QUANTITY UNIT PRICE(Kshs) TOTAL(Kshs)
Income
Sale of egg Eggs 65,520 10 655,200
Sales cull Birds 250 300 75,000
Saleof bags Bags 50 50 2,500
Sales of manure Tons 20 2000 40,000
Gross Income 772,700
Expenditure
Day old chicks No. 250 100 25,000
Chick/Duck mash 70 kg bag 7 3,200 22,400
Growers Mash 70kg bag 25 2,900 72,500
Layers Mash 70kg bag 18 3,000 54,000
Medication Birds 250 60 15,000
Kerosene Litres 36 100 3,240
Labour 18 months MD 300 200 60,000
Egg trays 6 30 180
Charcoal 6 850 5,100
Cost of construction 150,000
& equipments
Miscellaneous 30,000
Working capital 392,780
Interest on Working capital 58,917
Total cost 451,697
Gross Margin 321,003
Capital Recovery
Fixed Capital – Ksh. 150,000
Recovery Period – 10 years
Interest rate – 20%
Annual Capital Cost – Ksh150,000 x CRF
Ksh 150,000 x 0.2385
Ksh.35,775
Total Variable Cost Ksh.392,780+
58,917+35,775=Ksh.487, 472
Expected Net Income – Ksh.772,700– 487, 472 = Ksh 285,228
Break Even Price/egg = 7.44
Remarks
When family labour is used Net income will
Improve
12 months productivity period has been adopted
Eggs/bird to be 255 per year - Laying percentage to be 70%
Chick and Growers mortality rates to be 5%
Layers mortality to be 1%
Fowl pox vaccinate at 10-12 weeks once.
Fowl-typhoid – vaccinate at 6-8 weeks once
New Castle – vaccinate 1 week – 2-3 weeks, 8-10
weeks and every 2-3 months.
Infectious bronchitis – 1 week, 2-3 weeks
Gumboro – 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks
NCD + IB + 1BD (killed) – 18 – 20 week
Profitability will be realized After 2 years
holding other factors of production constant
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Part of the pea family,
Calliandra is a small, thornless shrub that grows up to 12m high from direct
sowing, seedlings or stem cuttings.
It is best grown alongside other crops and grows well in a wide range of soil types, from deep volcanic loams to more acidic sandy clays. It is well adapted to acid infertile soils, but will respond to fertiliser. It does not tolerate waterlogged conditions, or drought,and does not grow well on poorly drained soils.
It is best grown alongside other crops and grows well in a wide range of soil types, from deep volcanic loams to more acidic sandy clays. It is well adapted to acid infertile soils, but will respond to fertiliser. It does not tolerate waterlogged conditions, or drought,and does not grow well on poorly drained soils.
Grows well in Central
and Eastern Province, and is evergreen in humid climates, but semi-deciduous in
areas with a long dry season.
The first cut can be
8-12 months after sowing, and it can be cut back to half to one metre every 2
to 3 months. Direct grazing by cattle, sheep and goats will often kill the
plant, as will cutting below 30cm. But when cut and fed, the leaves and pods
are rich in protein and can contribute 25 per cent of livestock diet, compared
to between 8 and 10 per cent for elephant grass and nappier grass.
Calliandra can provide fodder
for up to 20 years.
Commercial Value
A farmer with 1 cow and 500 calliandra as a substitute for dairy meal will increase his net monthly income by between Sh15,000 and Sh30,000.
A farmer with 1 cow and 500 calliandra as a substitute for dairy meal will increase his net monthly income by between Sh15,000 and Sh30,000.
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A new breed of
easy-to-grow shrubs are giving livestock 40 to 60 percent better nutrition than
nappier grass, lifting the milk production of cows by up to 2 litres a day, and
saving large sums on commercial feeds. The best options in Kenya and East
Africa are:
1. Calliandra
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3. Mulberry
4. Sesbania
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Method
1 - In a Pot
- Purchase fresh ginger root from a grocery store or market.
- Soak your ginger overnight in warm water.
- Prepare a 14 inch wide and 12 inch deep pot with potting soil, the loose kind that doesn't pack down when it's watered, and enrich it with plenty of compost. Make sure the pot drains very well. A pot this size can comfortably hold about three pieces of ginger.
- Plant just below the surface of the soil, spacing the pieces evenly apart.
- Put the pot in an area with light shade at a temperature of 75-85*F. Cooler temperatures will stunt the plants' growth, since ginger is from hot Asia.
- Water lightly at first, then more heavily when shoots appear. Keep the plants dry in winter while they're dormant.
- In 10-12 months the plant will be mature and 2-4 feet high.
- Dig up new sprouts that appear in front of the main plants and either replant them somewhere else (they will form new rhizomes) or use them.
Method 2 - In the Ground
- Follow Steps 1 and 2 above.
- Find yourself an area of rich, moist, but well-drained soil that is protected from heavy winds and from temperatures below 75*F.
- Plant your chunk of ginger with the buds facing up.
- Follow Steps 5-7 above.
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Lesson 1
Business is a passion but farming is an indispensable lifestyle
that has no age limit.
Lesson 2
Lesson 2
You cannot succeed in anything (business) that you have no passion and
commitment in it my colleagues.
Lesson 3.
Lesson 3.
Trust is a KEY component in any business but always make use of your
6th sense well.
Lesson 4
While trust is is rated as key component in any business, you must
run to interrogate aperson well and know hIm before you surrender your goods.
By the same fact remember that as a businessman you need to build confidence
among clients and business colleagues that you are honesty and reliable
otherwise one simple silly mistake may cost you public confidence which shall
ultimately hit your business.
Lesson 5
Never promise something you can't deliver. If you do current and
prospective clients shall keep off your business despite your low costs..
Lesson 6
Between price and reliability in business circles serious clients may
opt in the later.
Lesson 7
Lesson 7
Be the master of your own ideas.Any sub ideas and comments you
receive from friends are foes are just but complimentary. Not all compliments
are genuine
Lesson 8
Other people's views or advices are subordinate to yours because you are
driving an agenda whose destiny and routes are only known by you and yourself.
Lesson 9
Any setback in business is a lesson not a deterrent.
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In summary they include:
- Pursuance of a good agribusiness opportunity
- Good business planning
- Availability of adequate capital/credit facility
- Management ability/skills
- Use of modern business techniques
- Availability of adequate markets
Success in agribusiness is a personal
responsibility as much as the external environmental factors may have an
influence. Successful agribusinesses we see around never dropped from heaven!
They are a result of great initiatives, effort and a commitment to achieve in
the midst of all odds. You must be ready and proud to stand on your own and
pursue what you belief is a journey to success.
This will require:
- An eye for opportunity
- Appetite for hard-work
- Discipline
- Independence
- Honesty
- Creativity
- Experience
- Self-confidence
- Adaptability
- Ability to tolerate stress
- Thirst and focus on profit
All the above factors sum into what I
popularly refer to as the “business success formula”: BS = A x M x O where, BS
is business success, A is ability, M is motivation and O is opportunity. What
this formula implies is that for anyone to succeed in agribusiness, his/her abilities
and motivation must meet with opportunity. In business, you can only get
business results or profits by exploiting opportunities!
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Here are ten things that you need to know before ditching that job to get into agribusiness:
1. You Need to Have Passion for Agriculture
Before entertaining the thought of diving into agriculture, ask yourself if you have any interest whatsoever in agriculture? The returns might sound enticing but are you the kind of person who likes plants or animals and taking care of them? Have you previously done anything to do with agriculture? Do you even have a kitchen garden? If you hate the thought of dirt on your hands, then agribusiness is not for you.
2. Identify Your Area of Interest
After assuring yourself that indeed agriculture is one of your passions, then start analyzing what area to focus on. You cannot excel in agribusiness if you are a jack of all trades. Pick one area and focus on it. If chicken farming is your thing then pursue it entirely.
3. Do Your Research
After clearly defining your area of interest, get information about it. You will require technical knowledge about that crop or livestock you have narrowed down to. You need to know the best practice(s) that will yield best results. Identify the opportunities available in your chosen field. Find out how you can strategically add value to what exists to gain an advantage over your competitors.
4. Planning
Getting into agribusiness without a business plan is like shooting your foot and later wondering why you cannot walk. Have a clear business plan and assess the risks of your business. Agribusiness has money making in it. You therefore have to treat it like any other business. Dry run planning will reduce the possibility of your venture failing.
In addition, consider all the requirements necessary to start off your business. Do you have land? If you don’t, how do you intend to acquire one? How much will it cost? How far is the land from your nearest selling point? What will be your means of transport and how much does it cost?
5. Start with the End in Mind
Market is the end in business. The primary goal of getting into agribusiness is to make profit. Before you get into any form of agribusiness, find out if there is a market for your product and seek a thorough understanding of that market. This saves you the hassle of having a product and no market for it in the long run.
6. Have Some Savings
To set up a business you need money. To get into agribusiness will also require you to invest generously before you start reaping anything. My advice is that you stay clear of loans if you can and invest your savings instead. Agribusiness is risky for a starter. You are safer investing your savings than investing money that you do not have, a.k.a loans.
7. Do not Invest all Your Life Savings
Since you are taking a risk by investing in agribusiness, you should have some money put aside in case things do not work out as planned.
8. Network
Get to know people. Make friends in the agribusiness sector both online and offline; this way you will have people to share your experience with and to learn from. Join farmer groups on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. Contribute to agricultural discussions online.
Most importantly, cultivate healthy relationships with your suppliers and customers.
9. Commitment
Agribusiness is just like any other business; it has its fair share of risks. In fact, I would rate it as a high risk business. You need a neat mix of tough skin and passion to survive. Numerous challenges will come your way and you have to be committed to the venture to get back on your feet every so often. Your entire crop might dry up due to a strange disease and there will be little that you can do. Your commitment to that business will drive you to continue despite such painful disappointments.
10. Have Options
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity. This is one of my favourite aphorisms because it’s true! If after three years you realize that you have not made any profit in your agribusiness venture, then perhaps it’s time to pitch tent elsewhere. Keep an open mind and be ready to exit when the time comes.
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Commonly known in Kenya as Hoho/ Pilipili Hoho,
Sweet Pepper is a niche that is yet to be fully exploited. Actually all, nearly
all farming activities are heavily underutilized in Kenya with the demand for
agricultural products on the rise.
Hoho does well under irrigation and in areas with an
average temperature of between 15 degrees and 5 degrees. In the seed bed,
capsicum takes approximately 21 days to be ready for transplanting to the farm.
Here, capsicum will take approximately 90 days to mature and be ready for
harvesting.
Above - a capsicum seed-bed
The recommended spacing for Hoho is 75 cm by 45 cm
which means that an acre of land would accommodate roughly 10,000 plants of
capsicum. Each plant would the yield
around 10 heads that means that one would be expecting around 100,000 heads in
the end of the season. The market prices of capsicum would rage heavily on the
size of these heads, period of time and the place where one chooses to sell
their products. However, assuming that one is able to produce considerably
large heads and sells them in an urban area, each head could fetch between 3-7
shillings each. This means that one can fetch between 300,000 – 700,000
shillings at the end. Colored pepper would fetch much more prices than green
ones in the same market.
Above - Capsicum after transplanting from the
seed-bed
For one acre, 0.5 kgs of seeds would be enough for
planting if one opts to first grow them in a nursery while the same piece of
land would require around 1kg of seeds if they are sown directly to the land. After
the seedlings have developed four true leaves, they are then transplanted into
the farm. When planting in the farm, it is necessary that one uses manure which
would be around 10,000 kg per acre – this would mean that each plant gets
around 2 handfuls of manure together with double super phosphate fertilizer
where around 250 kg would be enough for one acre. When they grow to around 15 cm, around 100 kg
per acres of C.A.N fertilizer should be applied and double amount of the same
fertilizer should be applied one month later. The total cost of production
should be around 150,000 shillings
for the same acre of land. Simple math gives us at least an income of 150,000 shillings from the one acre of
capsicum in one season.
Above – mature capsicum plants
Above - Capsicum heads ready for picking.
Just like any other type of farming, capsicum
farming in Kenya is faced by some challenges with the main ones being pests and
diseases. One of them is early/late bright also called Baridi in Swahili. This
one causes the leaves to fold something that hinders photosynthesis thus less
production. In green houses, there is little chance of such a disease in
capsicum. Some major pests in capsicum common in Kenya are spider mites that
attack crops themselves, Thrips that attack flowers, and white flies.
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Dairy Goats
These are the goats that are kept or
their milk production.
Feeding
Often, feeding them is pretty
much easier than feeding the other goats since they are fed on locally
available fodder such as nappier grass, Calliandra,
and desmondium. Also, one can feed
them on maize stalks, and hay which are pretty much available. a good number of farmers have also opted to feed their goats on hydroponic fodder. However, just
like any other animal, the nutritional value of the feeds provided to these goats
should never be compromised. For this reason, it is necessary to provides food supplements
that will ensure that the dairy goats get the necessary supplements. Some of
the feeds that are very good nutritional value valuable for dairy goats are
cotton seed cake, maize or rice jam, bran, and dairy meal. Also, farmers with enough
land can plant sweet potatoes for their vines which provide high protein
content.
Breeding
Breeding these goats is also not
as cumbersome. There are two ways of breeding them, one being artificial insemination
– which is less common in Kenya and using their males. Since goats generally
have a very high libido, only a single male is enough to service up to 25
females. He-goats are introduced to the females two weeks after kidding, or 10 at
the age of months. It is important that a farmer selects the best he-goat for
his/her breeding purposes so as to ensure best quality. The he-goat should be
left with the female goats for between 2-3 weeks to ensure that he mates with
most of them. This is very good since most of the farmers goats will kid at
almost same time, making it very easy for their management by the farmer. After
kidding, the kids are allowed at least 1 liter of milk a day for at least 3
months, although the amount of milk can be reduced depending on the weight, with
feed and supplements introduced in the second week after birth.
Breeds
High
altitude areas you need: Saanen, Toggenburg, East African Goat.
Medium
altitude: German Alpine, E.A Goat, Angora Galla and Boer goat.
Low
altitude: Galla, Boer and E.A.Goat
High
yield Milk producers are; Alpine, Toggenburg and Saanen.
Meat
producers are E.A Goat, Galla and Boer
Production
The
Alpine 2.4-4.6 litres a day (3.6%butterfat),
Toggenburg
3-5 litres a day (3.8%butterfat)
Saanen,
can produce even 7 liters a day under good management
Doing
an average of 5 liters a day, less the one liter for the kid one is left with 4
liters. Goat milk fetches between Ksh. 30 and Ksh. 120 depending on the place. So,
if a farmer can fetch Ksh.60 for his product, he/she will get Ksh. 240 for one goat in a day. If a
farmer has 10 goats, he/she can get up to Ksh.
2400 daily, and Ksh. 72,000 in a
month of course, the costs of production are not factored here since these will
change depending on what the farmer has.
Challenges
Just like any other animal
production venture, availability of quality feeds has been a major challenge to
most farmers. Most farmers do not have a reliable supply for fodder and supplements
while those who have are forced to spend huge sums of money on the same. Other challenges
are diseases and pests, lack of reliable human resources, and lack of quality
breeds.
However, the biggest challenge that
faces most dairy goats is the market for their milk. Although it is no longer a
secrete that goat milk fetches very high prices in the market, and that it is
very valuable for hospitals and HIV patients, most farmers are faced with a
burden of fetching reliable market for their milk. This could be due to their low
quantities of production that means that the logistics of collecting their
products from their localities do not make economical sense. Also, the high price
of the products makes it out of reach to the low income earners as compared
with the prices of milk from cows.
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“What you want is by your doorstep yet you do not know,” says Kirwa.
Why ZERO GRAZING?
ZERO GRAZING improves milk production. The energy which the
animal would have spent on free range is consolidated and used for milk
production. The number of attendants is also reduced; they seemed to have
plenty of time. And by the look of things, I must say I found them well
informed and smart. I wouldn’t have noticed them had I not been told. What
still amazes me is the way the animals were composed. They appeared stress
free - never seemed to be taken aback by such a large team visiting. They
are lovely and appealing to the eyes. No wonder they got 3 awards and the
concomitant benefits.
The farmer in Machakos was getting 35 litres of milk per cow
whereas all his 8 at home gave an accumulated 30 litres. He came back home and
decided to do Zero Grazing and feed his livestock exclusively on dry matter.
Of the 8, he isolated 3 and put them on ZERO GRAZING while the rest were left
on free range as before. The confined 3 for ZERO GRAZING refused to feed. In
desperation, he brought in the other 5 who fed ravenously on the dry matter.
That motivated the initial 3 to begin eating. 2 months down the line, the milk
production doubled to 70 litres. And since then, things have never been the
same for WILSAM Dairies. Exponential growth has been the order of the day. This
he attributes to FEEDS; MANAGEMENT; BREED
“Give me a business that gives you daily revenue by as
early as 6:00 a.m. and I’ll show you milk business. How? Doing dairy farming as
a business brings in income as early as 5:00 a.m. and continues throughout the
day, the week, the month, and throughout the years. In fact, it
continues up to the close of business at 8:00 p.m. when the cows bid you good
night”
Those were the opening words of Willy Kirwa when we, 52 farming
enthusiasts, paid a visit to WILSAM Farm which he owns and manages with his
wife, a farm manager and 2 farm assistants. People came from far and wide-
Kisumu; Mombasa; Muranga; Ukambani; Nairobi; Nakuru; Bomet; Eldoret; Kitale;
Webuye, etc. Whereas most of us were first timers, several were doing repeat
visits; many more will go back again and again from what I heard...
Kirwa, who travels a lot, later on visited Israel where he
was astounded when he found out the high cost of producing milk. Therein,
due to transport as most ingredients are imported, the costs are high. Upon
critical and open thinking, it struck him that he could do dairy farming at a
much cheaper cost back here in Kenya where Maize Stover, Wheat Stalks, Rice
Husks are readily available locally. According to Brian Tracey, “The
key to success is action,” creativity, openness, and imagination
notwithstanding. "The talent of success is nothing more than doing what
you can do well; and doing well whatever you do, without a thought of
fame," adds Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. And Zig Ziglar says that the
skill to do comes from doing. Therefore, you must place yourself in a
position to practice these skills.
Coupled with enthusiasm, these principles work to bring about
fast, predictable improvements in performance and results. The faster you learn
and apply them, the faster you will move ahead. It was Frank Tibolt who
once said, “We should be taught NOT TO WAIT for inspiration to start a thing.
Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.”
“Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the
world better,” as Martin Luther King, Jr. observed.
All successful people are forever attempting to expand their
horizons; to stretch their minds. Thomas Carlyle put it beautifully when he said,
"Once the mind has been expanded by a big idea, it will never go back
to its original state." Carlyle was right, when you have expanded your
mind you have developed a greater awareness, and awareness is not something you
can lose, asserts Bob Proctor... Willy is back in Israel for
updates on the latest dairy technology; some new things have just come up. He
doesn’t let anything novel pass him by- he looks for opportunities in every
vista available.
Feeds
The cows are exclusively fed on dry matter. Dry matter is more
important than green matter in dairy feeds as the volume consumed is less and
the water intake is enhanced. A cow which consumes 80kgs of green matter takes
only 40kgs of dry matter. Then it takes 60 litres of water on average. It's
worth noting that 80% of milk is composed of water!!!!!!!!!!!
The dry matter is made up of roughly chopped
§
1 bag Bhoma Rhodes grass;
§
1 bag Wheat Straw;
§
1 bag Maize Stover;
§
1 bag Rice husks
This makes up approximately 120kg of feed from the 4 bags based
on an assumption of 30 kgs per bag of each input. Of these, the most critical
component is the BHOMA RHODES.
“Ideally, you should be doing 4 bags of BHOMA RHODES, but since
it is expensive and we are aiming to drive down costs, we add fillers- what
would be called ''waste'' material (maize stovers, rice husks, wheat straws),”
says Kirwa.
These are thoroughly mixed with 2 litres of molasses in 15
litres of lukewarm water. Thereafter the moist mixture is compacted in
plastic drums. How many drums they will fill depend on drum size, muscle power
and weight (compacting ability). The use of metal drums is discouraged
owing to rust. The mixture, in the drums of course, are then sealed with polythene
sheet and put in the sun to ferment to maturity. It’s advisable that the
chopping is medium size so as to allow for chewing rather than swallowing. This
is necessary for the development and built up of rumen. The moisturised feeds
become ready for consumption in three days. By then it is softer and tastier.
This feed can last for long, too.
His herd of 36 animals consumes 2-2.5 drums of this in a
day. Each mature in-milk cow consumes 35 – 40 kgs daily. The maximum is
about 40 kg daily for a cow that is in full milk production. Note that the
quantity consumed per cow reduces owing to the animal size and status- in-milk,
in-calf, expectant heifers, young calves... Calves and heifers are also fed on
the same feed. Calves are only allowed to suckle from their mothers for two
days after which they are introduced to artificial feeding. Solid salt lick is
also provided adlib and a cow is estimated to consume between 130-150g/day.
This is split up into 3 as they are milked thrice daily.
When asked about the use of UREA to substitute for molasses in
the feeds, Kirwa said that that requires much more technology than he has
access to. Otherwise, the unfortunate herd deaths as have been reported
elsewhere.
Water is provided adlib and at body temperature. Cows take small
quantities of cold water; instead, they drink plenty of the lukewarm one. That
explains why within the cowshed, the water is in the open area of the
confinement.
It is advisable to Store feeds enough for your animals to last
for at least a year. Use this to know the estimates required-365days x 40kgs x
#cows.
Of the 18 in–milk cows, he gets between 350 and 370 litres of
milk daily.
Milk producing cows are given dairy meal in addition to the dry
matter. “Don’t buy dairy meal,” he warns. “Make your own”, he advises. “It has
cost implications,” he adds. If he were feeding 35 cows 2kgs of dairy meal
each, he would save between Kshs. 21,000 and Kshs. 26,250 monthly. This saving
doubles when he gives each cow 4kgs.
Dairy meal administration
>15litres 4kgs per day
<15litres 2kgs per day
Costs
Factory
made
Homemade Variance Savings
2000-2250
1400-1500
500-750 18,000-22,500
Dairy meal composition
Ingredient Quantity Availability
Cotton Seed Cake 05kg Dealers
Wheat Pollard 05kg Millers
Maize Flour 10kg Home made
Rice Germ 15kg Rice factory
Wheat Bran 18kg Millers
Maize Bran 15kg Millers
High Phosphorous 01kg Agrovet
Dairy Lime 01kg Agrovet
PS:
Lucerne can be used to substitute for COTTON SEED CAKE;
Soya is too expensive;
Sunflower fattens and this inhibits milk production. It’s
instead, better for the beef cattle. As to the much publicized fodder
millet, Willy has just brought in the seeds. Until he gets it right, he doesn’t
want to comment. This homemade dairy meal costs between Kshs. 1400 and 1500 per
bag.
Milking
A dairy cow is milked for 10months in a year and left to dry for
2 months just before delivery. Milking at the farm is mechanized. The cows are
trained and when the equipment is switched on, and gates opened, the cows
literally queue to await their turns. The machine milks four cows at a go as
the dairy meal is fed to the cow during process. In approximately 5 minutes the
milking is complete and another lot gets in.
Breeding
He says the best cows are the ones you breed yourself. So he
serves his dairy cows using conventional semen and sexed semen. Sexed semen is
used only on heifers. From his experience, sexed semen works best in heifers;
>90% efficacy. He uses semen from CAIS, Worldwide Sires and ABS Semex.
Medication
Spraying of the animals is done weekly within the farm. In fact,
WILSAM Dairies is like a miniature Agrovet, stocked with all kinds of animal
medicine. When need arises, vets are called in and paid for the services that
cannot be administered by the farm workers.
Plans
With over 350 litres daily, it’s not so economical to operate
without a chilling plant. So he plans to bring in a milk-cooler. He’s already
put up a structure for it. When that happens, he says he’ll be in a
better position to negotiate with the milk processors for better terms.
Besides, savings made on transport cost when the processors collect milk from
his yard would also be huge financial boost for him.
Meanwhile, he intends to add 20 more cows into the herd in the
next couple of months as well as build a bigger biogas plant; he had a small
smaller one which he’s broken down to pave way for the bigger one. Wilsam is
aiming at milking 40 cows, more cow dung, and at least 1,200 litres per day! At
30 bob per litre, we are looking at 36,000/- per day gross, or 1,080,000/- per
month gross, or 12,960,000 gross per year!!
There is “Good news” for his animals. They might soon be
sleeping on mattresses when he buys enough for all. He has begun bringing in
these mattresses albeit gradually given the high costs involved. Meanwhile,
they make do with straw on the murram floor which is comparatively warm unlike
the concrete one
For the feeds’ needs, he has planted 10 acres of Bhoma Rhodes
grass
Poultry
From a humble beginning of 200 chicks, a plan hatched in flight
as he came back from ISRAEL, he now has approximately 700, and a structure that
can take in up to 1000 birds. His estimated daily income from this is Kshs.
1700. Within the 18 months, he gets a net of about Kshs. 300,000. He saves a
minimum of Kshs. 25,000 on the homemade feeds-maize flour, maize bran, etc.
There are also layers whose eggs sell for Kshs. 30 each. In 21 days these bring
on board chicks.
For this farm, with an average income of about Kshs. 900,000 per
month, the future is brighter than ever before. The visit was quite an
eye opener. We came, saw and I‘m now believing in its possibility, seeing
it as it is done. Everything is possible for everyone who believes. This
thing is doable!!!!!!!!!!!!!"People with the best intentions will often
give you advice on why you shouldn’t take a risk because of what could happen.
While some of what they say may be true, you should never allow them to get
their negative anchors into your mind because, like them, you too will begin to
sink. Next time this happens, throw them a life-line, and ask them what is good
about their situation." - Bob Proctor
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