Feedback: Dealing with irritating fleas

MY FARM IS INFESTED WITH ANNOYING FLEAS

I am a small-scale farmer with some 10 dairy cows of which five have calves. I recently discovered that the pen is terribly infested with fleas and on checking on the calves, especially in the ears, I realised the animals are suffering.

I have applied Dudu dust and an acaricide and they seem not to clear them. Please help.

Tuitoek, Nakuru

Fleas multiply and propagate faster that getting rid of them can become a great challenge. They are tiny and almost invisible creatures that mostly hide in the hair, crotch or armpits, causing irritating bites and loss in production in animals if left unattended.

Controlling them involves maintaining good hygiene, use of chemicals such as insecticides and acaricides.

Whereas there are different external parasiticides that can be used, the most-effective and specific are pyrethrin based, which act on a broad range of ectoparasites like flies, ticks, mites, fleas and lice.

They are used for dipping, spraying, as ear tags, pour-ons and spot-ons among different livestock species.

They are also effective on infestations both outside and inside the livestock house. In agrovets, the acaricides are mostly sold with typical formulations as emulsifiable concentrates (EC), meaning they are liquid concentrates which can be diluted with water to form an emulsion before being used as dips or sprays.

After buying, dress in a protective clothing and apply on the animals and the barn. If there is a poultry house around, apply there too and repeat this procedure weekly until all the fleas disappear.

You might be tempted to overdose because of heavy infestation but note that although pyrethroids are generally regarded as safe to animals, they can be poisonous due to excessive use.

Follow the recommended application rates.

Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Science, Egerton University.

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GROWING SNOW PEAS

I would like advice on growing snow peas, especially in Ngong.

Samson Muroko

Snow peas do well at altitudes of up to 2,600m and with temperatures from 12 to 20°C. An annual rainfall of at least 2,000mm is best and should be evenly distributed throughout the entire growing season.

Supplemental irrigation is recommended. Edible pod peas can be produced in the field but yields are higher when the crop is produced in either a greenhouse or a screen house. Peas are relatively cold-tolerant and can withstand a mild frost.

Soils should be deeply ploughed and harrowed to a fine tilth. Seeds are sowed at a depth of about 2.5cm in wide rows and emerge after about one week.

The seed rate is 50 to 60kg per hectare and the crop responds well to added compost.

At planting time, 250kg of DAP fertiliser is applied, and at flowering 200kg CAN is applied. Snow peas requires support through use of stakes or wires. Two layers of wires may be required to allow the plants to grow to their full stem length.

Varieties: Dwarf grey sugar, Oregon sugar pod, Mommoth melting sugar, Sugar snap, and Toledo.
Pests and diseases are controlled using appropriate chemicals.

Harvesting: Starts 60 to 70 days from planting and continues for up to two months. The pods should be picked twice a week.

They are twisted off the stems and stored in a container under a moist cloth to keep them cool. Dirty pods should be washed and all crop debris removed from the container and the pods sorted by size.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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PLANTING MELONS

I am planning to plant watermelons in Mwingi using chicken manure because I also rear Kienyeji chicken. Any advice.

Jacob Muthui

To get a robust harvest of watermelons, there is need to augment soil nutrient status to meet the needs of the crop and maintain soil fertility. One way is by using inorganic fertilisers or organic manure and yes, such as poultry (chicken) manure.

Basically, watermelon is a heavy feeder of nitrogen among other nutrients, whose rate of fertilisation depends much on the soil type and test results. It is a good practice to start off watermelons in a mix of manure or fertiliser and soil.

Of late, there are increasing concerns with food safety, which involve issues of application of fertiliser and chemicals.

Therefore, poultry manure, which is a good source of nitrogen, offers a good option for fertiliser and going organic.

However, you do not apply fresh chicken manure, if possible, compost it with a carbonaceous material before application.

Poultry manure helps in establising and maintaining optimum physical condition of the soil and for plant growth. In addition, it is very cheap and effective, however, its sustainable availability is an issue.

You can also integrate the use of organic manure and inorganic fertilisers for supply of adequate nutrients to your watermelon but be vigilant of impacts to the environment.

Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Science, Egerton University.

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WE NEED RELIABLE FARM MANAGER

We are in the process of establishing a farm of 60 hectares for animal feeds such as maize, sorghum, sesame and various fodder in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

We drilled two boreholes and we will build a dam too. Therefore, we are looking for a specialist to run the farm. Salary and remuneration will be discussed.

Ismail Madahey

One way to reduce the cost of milk production is to produce or grow your own fodder and for commercial purposes, this value chain remains hugely untapped.

Success in this venture involves working with an expert through forage establishment, management, harvesting and storage.

We have personnel at our disposal, both with some experience and new from class but have adequate practical skills and willing to further learn.

For the latter category, we can recommend those trained for diploma and degree programmes. Depending on your desired candidate, you will then be able to select those fitting your requirements.

Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Science, Egerton University.