Learn everything from goat rearing to poultry vaccination

What you need to know:

  • Prawn farming is a lucrative business along the coast of Kenya because of the great demand in the region. If raised well under intensive management, you guarantee high-quality prawns that will attract premium prices both locally and when exported. Breed selection is important for maximum investment return.
  • I want to start hatching and rearing kienyeji chicks. I need some training on incubators, handling and rearing of young chicks, feeding ratios, changing of feeds, vaccination, and favourable structures. Felix Bett

GOAT REARING

I intend to keep goats in a place called Githumu in Murang’a. I need to know the best breed that can cope well with the environment and where I can buy them from.
Sammy Kibe

German Alpine or Toggenburg exotic breeds can perform well around your area. In particular, crosses of either breed with indigenous goat breeds such as the Small East African or Galla have been found to do well especially if the hybrid has about 75 per cent of the exotic genotype.

Please contact the Dairy Goat Association of Kenya (for Alpine crosses) or the Meru Dairy Goat Association (for Toggenburg crosses) to link you up with individual farmers within their associations who can sell registered stock to you.

The email addresses for the two associations are dgak@wananchi.

Kimitei K. Ronald, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.

LEARNING HOW TO DO PRAWN FARMING
I wish to start prawn farming. Advise on the best prawn breed/type and where to get the fingerlings.
Joseph Munyua, Mombasa

Prawn farming is a lucrative business along the coast of Kenya because of the great demand in the region.

If raised well under intensive management, you guarantee high-quality prawns that will attract premium prices both locally and when exported. Breed selection is important for maximum investment return.

Visit nearby KEMFRI branches for the Giant freshwater prawn, Scampi, which is widely adaptive or they will direct you on reliable fingerling sources. If you plan to raise using ponds, dig to a minimum of 2.5 feet deep, and a pond pH of 7-8.

Lime application will boost plankton growth in the pond and assist in disease control. As the prawns grow, maintain pure water and observe oxygen levels for good pond aeration and protect the ponds from predators and intruders.

On feeding, you can prepare your own feed by mixing animal or vegetable raw materials or feed on commercially available prawn feeds.

Felix Akatch Opinya, Department of Animal Sciences-Egerton University.

WHICH PLANTS CAN MY PIGS FEED ON?
I want to start keeping pigs. Educate me on fodder beet. Is it good for pigs and where I can get the seeds? What’s the process of planting?
Wambugu

The leaves and roots of fodder beets provide high nutritive livestock feed rich in energy; hence complement similar feed sources such as cereal grains.

They are fed to all livestock species especially pigs because of tubers and are mostly used for fattening purposes.

They do well in cooler climates, fertile soils and need long growing seasons of about 6-7months. It is best to use treated seeds at the rate of 5-10kg/ha.

After establishment, proper weed and pest control should be observed until they are ready for harvesting.

During harvesting, dig the root carefully out of the ground and clean well before feeding. In dairy farms, the roots are first chopped before feeding to increase palatability while pigs can just feed on them.

The leaves are best fed on after wilting or can be ensiled if harvested in high quantities. For seeds, inquire from KALRO branches or Kenya Seed stores around your area.

Felix Akatch Opinya, Department of Animal Sciences-Egerton University

MAKING CHICKEN FEEDS AT HOME

I plan to start making chicken feeds using locally available materials because of the high cost of commercial feeds. Kindly advise me on how to go about it.

Nancy Talam, Eldoret

Making poultry rations will depend on the type of materials you are able to acquire. For energy sources consider maize, wheat bran/pollard while for protein consider cotton and sunflower seed cakes as plant protein, and omena as animal protein.

The ration will also require mineral supplements such as limestone flour and salt, and premixes as vitamin supplement.

Once you have identified the materials you are able to acquire contact the Smallholder Indigenous Chicken Improvement Programme (incip) to get advice on the mixing ratios of the materials. Contact (email): [email protected] or Tel: +254 51 2217684/5 Sophie Miyumo, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

Bockline Omedo Bebe

Professor of Livestock Production Systems

Expertise: Value chains, Agricultural innovation systems, M&E, Climate change adaptation Department of Animal Sciences Egerton University Box 536 -20115 Egerton, Kenya Fax +254 51 2211113

GROWING FODDER
Thank you for the advise you are offering to farmers. There is this fodder called brachiaria grass from Brazil that is being grown in some areas in Kenya. Can you please shed some light on it? Please let me know how I can get the seeds. I am in Kinangop in Nyandarua County.

Peter Mwangi

There are many varieties of Brachiaria grasses. Unknown to many, however, these grasses are native to Africa but spread to the Americas and Australia where they have been improved through crossings and are now one of the most widely cultivated forages.

They possess an inherent ability to grow in drought and marginal soils thus making them ideal forage for arid and semi-arid regions. Brachiaria grasses are quite palatable and nutritious for livestock and increase both milk and meat production.

They are good for the environment owing to their ability to enhance nitrogen-use efficiency, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ground water pollutions. Please contact KALRO Katumani to enquire about seed availability.

Kimitei K. Ronald, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I VACCINATE POULTRY?

How many times should I vaccinate a batch of poultry from day-old to maturity? And at what intervals? For layers, broilers and kienyeji going with the vaccination procedure for Newcastle, gumboro, fowl pox and fowl typhoid.
Stephen Mukodo

For the first month of the brooding period, vaccinate all birds against Newcastle on the seventh and 21st day and Gumboro on the 14th and 28th day.

Thereafter, for layers and kienyeji vaccinate against fowl typhoid on the ninth week and fowl pox on the 18th week just before laying commences at 20-24 weeks.

Fowl typhoid and pox do not apply in the case of broilers because by the eighth week they are ready for market.

Sophie Miyumo, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

HANDLING INCUBATORS

My name is Bryan Huthu and I’m interested in contract farming. Which company offers contracts on mushroom and watermelon farming and which process does someone need to follow to get contracted?

Thank you Bryan, may we know where you come from so that you can be connected to those around your place.

More import on this is that if you want to do contract farming on mushroom and watermelon, first consider finding a market before you actually start. If you give us your location, we may be able to assist you.

Peter Caleb, Crops Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University

I want to start hatching and rearing kienyeji chicks. I need some training on incubators, handling and rearing of young chicks, feeding ratios, changing of feeds, vaccination, and favourable structures. Felix Bett

Artificial incubators regulate the temperature and humidity automatically once these have been set accordingly; day 1 to day 18 the temperature is set at 37.80c and humidity at 60-65%, then 3 days prior to hatching adjust the temperature to 37.50c and humidity to 70-75pc.

Upon hatching of chicks, transfer the chicks to deep litter brooder (Use wood shavings as litter material and cardboard to make a circular brooder) and provide supplemental heat using either infra-red bulbs or stove hover for 4 weeks.

During the 1st week provide chick formula (to boost immunity), glucose (for energy) and liquid paraffin (to clear their digestive system).

Feed chick mash for 8 weeks at the rate of 35-75g/chick/day increasing the amount gradually. Vaccinate the birds against New Castle and Gumburo on the 7th day and 21st day, respectively.

Sophie Miyumo, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

I WANT TO KEEP RABBITS

I want to invest in rabbit farming but my problem is market. Is there a market in Nakuru? Please advise.
Kingstone

Market is a key area of consideration to enjoy the benefits of your investment. The best way to guarantee a market for your rabbits is to get involved in rabbit contract farming. Several organisations that work with farmers in contract rabbit keeping include Alcare Group, Rabbit Republic and the Rabbit Millionaires Project.

Supermarkets and hotels in Nakuru also offer alternative places to sell your rabbits. These market channels will always come for your rabbits provided you do serious rabbit keeping under standard management. You can also sell directly to customers or to butcheries.

Felix Akatch Opinya, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

CAN I KEEP RHODE ISLAND CHICKEN?

I am a chicken farmer based in Nairobi. Enlighten me more about the Rhode Island breed and how I can make profit?

Elkana

The Rhode Island chicken breed, especially the Rhode Island Red, offers you options for increasing your profits.

This dual-purpose chicken breed is very hardy and has an adaptable wide feeding regime. If well managed, you will have plenty of eggs to sell considering its good rate of lay compared with other dual-purpose chickens.

Their size and conformation make the birds good for eating; which provides another option for sale and hence offering wider profit margins.

Felix Akatch Opinya, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

ADDING VALUE TO MILK

I am an avid reader of Seeds of Gold and I am interested in value addition of milk. Where can I get the knowledge and equipment for making ghee and butter from milk?

Joshua Kathawe (Meru County)

Value addition to milk offers the best alternative to increase your profits. Value added milk products include yoghurt, ghee, cheese, butter and milk powder. To process these products right, you need hands on training.

One such short training course is Value Added Dairy Processing that will be held at Egerton University from 2nd -7th August; call +254512217684/5 for more information. Dairy equipment can be sourced from De Laval.

Felix Akatch Opinya, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University