What you can do with eggs to get more income

A man transports eggs to a client in Kisumu. Most farmers sell raw eggs at Sh10 each or even lower but experts note one can add value to earn more money. FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • Do you have any question or enquiry on agribusiness, marketing, logistics, processing, innovation, and technology?
  • Our pool of experts from Egerton University will respond to your questions with proper advice.

VALUE ADDITION ON CHICKEN EGGS

I have been a poultry farmer for the last seven years with close to 6,000 layers.

The cost of feeds is becoming unmanageable as prices of eggs drop drastically.

Can one add value to eggs so that he can make extra income if they do not want to sell them raw?

Jane, Kitengela

Eggs can indeed be value added. Some of the value added products include egg powder, low cholesterol yolkless eggs (egg albumen) and shell-less eggs.

Kindly contact the Department of Food Science and Technology, Egerton University for more information.

Another alternative for managing high feed costs is to formulate your own rations with the help of an animal nutritionist.

Kimitei Ronald Kipkogei,

Department of Animal Sciences Egerton University

KEEPING IMPROVED CHICKENS AND PIGS

I am Peter Mendeli from Machakos town and I want to start rearing improved chicks;

a) Which breed best suits my area? Is it Kenbro or Kuroiler?

b) Where can I get the chicks near Machakos?

c) Where can I get market for the eggs and eventually for the mature chicks? I also want to rear pigs;

a) Where can I get the best piglets? b) Where can I get the market for mature pigs?

The best chicken to rear will depend on your production objectives and resources available.

The two breeds are both available in Kenya and can do well in your area with proper management.

Kindly visit your nearest agro-shop to inquire on sales representatives near you for any of the breeds.

Indigenous chicken eggs and meat are highly valued and their market is available within your locality but more so in the urban areas.

However, this will depend on the scale of production.

Unfortunately, the climatic conditions in most parts of Machakos may not be favourable for pig production majorly due to high temperatures and feeds availability and costs.

However, with modification of the micro-climate in the pigs’ sty, pig production can be carried out even in the arid areas.

However, micro-climate modification is cost-intensive and may not be recommended to smallholder farmers.

Wangui, James Chege,

Department of Animal Sciences,

Egerton University.

FEEDING A COW AFTER IT IS SERVED

My name is Ezekiel. I have a Friesian cow which was served a week ago. What sort of feeds should I feed her? I was thinking of dairy meal every morning and evening, is it recommended?

The nutrient requirements for early pregnant cows will vary, depending on whether the cow is a heifer and still growing or it is nursing a calf and its nutrition can have long-lasting effects on her calf.

Make sure you provide adequate and well-balanced diet with no vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

Offer the animal high quality forage to improve dry matter intake and increase energy sources of feeds gradually.

Proper levels of trace minerals are also crucial for her immune system and reproduction.

Feeding on dairy meal will help boost milk production if she is lactating, and in required amounts as per milk produced to take care of problems such as acidosis.

However, too much nutrition can be as detrimental as too little, for instance, being too fat means fertility problems or difficulty in calving because of too much fat in the pelvic area.

Felix Akatch Opinya,

Department of Animal Science,

Egerton University.

WHAT DOES DRY MATTER RATIO MEAN?

Every time I read an article on dairy cows in Seeds of Gold, the term dry matter ratio is used but I do not understand it.

I feed my cow with mainly napier grass. What is dry matter content?

David Muriuki

Feedstuffs are made up of two main components, namely the dry matter and water components.

Dry matter contains the nutrients that the animal needs including carbohydrates, protein and minerals.

The two parts are usually expressed as fractions or ratio and most often as percentage of the total.

The higher the water content (moisture), the lower the dry matter content and vice versa.

Feedstuffs such as lush pastures have high moisture content, silage has 40 per cent, hay has about 18 per cent while minerals supplement have 0 per cent moisture content.

The higher the dry matter content, the more the nutrients provision to the animal. Napier grass has high dry matter content ranging from 150 to 300 per cent depending on maturity stage.

A common way of increasing the dry matter content in forage feedstuffs is by wilting.

Wilting should be done preferably under a shade and for the shortest time possible.

This is to ensure feedstuffs retain their nutrients, which can be judged by the level of original colour loss.

So when feeding feedstuffs in high moisture, ensure you supply feeds high in dry matter to enable animals have adequate nutrient intake.

Wangui, James Chege,

Department of Animal Sciences,

Egerton University.

HOW TO FEED PIGS

Please advise on how to rear pigs and feed them at all levels.

David Obara, Kisii

To establish a successful pig farming enterprise, ensure that you practice proper feeding, disease control and good sanitary habits.

Proper feeding at all stages of growth translates to healthy pigs and good weight gain at the time of marketing.

Leftover food and waste vegetables can be fed to the pigs after boiling them well (pig swill) but avoid using leftovers due to risk of contamination and nutritive deficiency.

It is advisable to feed them twice a day (morning and evening) on grain-based concentrate feeds and the amount of feed depends on the age and the reproductive state of the pig.

Introduce piglets to pellets with 20 per cent protein at around 14 days of age and continue until 12 weeks of age.

Shift to sow and weaner/pig starter feed with 17.5 per cent protein from 12 weeks until the pigs start feeding on pig finisher meal.

Replacement breeding stock (breeding sows and boars) remain on sow and weaner meal with 16 per cent protein or feed them on easily available potatoes, carrots and other fruits and vegetables as long as these are not waste from kitchen or any place that sells meat.

Gilts will need about 2.5kg per day of sow and weaner meal until just before farrowing.

About three weeks before serving, the gilt should have her rations gradually increased to help maintain her in the best condition but after service and during gestation, the feed could be reduced to 2.4kg per day.

After farrowing, the sow should be fed about 3kg of the meal a day. If the sow is suckling more than six piglets, then she should be fed an extra 0.5kg per day per additional piglet and reduced to 1.5 to 2kg after weaning.

Felix Akatch Opinya,

Department of Animal Sciences,

Egerton University

COPIES OF SEEDS OF GOLD

How can I get copies of Seeds of Gold of January 31 and February 7? I was out of the country and did not buy them. 

Mutuku Daniel

EDITOR: Please speak to Nation Media Group library on 0719038459.

TREE FARMING

I need the contact of retired army commander Humphrey Njoroge from Lenginet, Nakuru whose story was featured on July 26, 2014.

Hisam

EDITOR: The farmer is available on 0722846096.

POULTRY KEEPING

My name is Richard Mwaniki, a small-scale poultry farmer from Mathira Constituency, Nyeri County.

I have been keeping kienyeji poultry breed and I intend to increase as well as improve my brood.

Please pass me the contact of the poultry farmer you featured last week and the family from Thika also engaging in the trade.

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I read the article on Leah Muthoni and got interested in what she is doing. Please connect me with her.

Jethro Iruku

Sirloy Enterprises

EDITOR: Talk to Kenneth Macharia of the Thika family on 0721693157. Reach the Nyeri farmer, Leah Muthoni, on  0722356852.

DEALING WITH AFLATOXIN

I am a veterinary surgeon based in Nairobi. In an article on aflatoxin last week, there was a quote that was misleading, where Hilda Mugure advised: “Feeds should first be dried under the sun for two to three days before crashing the mould.”

This gave the impression that sun drying destroys the toxin and makes the feed fit for consumption.

Drying may destroy the mould but not the toxin. Aflatoxin is such a serious issue in animal feeds that it would be wrong for a farmer to do such a thing. The feeds should be destroyed.

Dr Joyce Gakombe

EDITOR: We appreciate your feedback as we strive to educate farmers.

BEEKEEPING

My name is Muzna Saleh and I recently read an article titled “Where bees pay ‘rent’ and produce in plenty”.

Pass me the contacts of Philip Owiti, the agricultural trainer with Kapap.

EDITOR: Talk to Owiti through our reporter Caroline Chebet on 0716247608.

PURPLE TEA

Please pass me the contact of the farmer planting, processing and selling purple tea.

Bethwel

EDITOR: Talk to the manager Roselyne on 0721576941 or Jane on 0723633521.

GROWING FODDER

Kindly get me the contact of Peter Alukutsa of Vihiga so that I can arrange to visit his farm. I liked what he was doing and would like to engage in such a business.

Farmer

Editor: Peter is available on 0724398263.

MILK VENDING MACHINE

Where can I get the milk ATM? I will appreciate to have a contact.

Joyce

EDITOR: Talk to Geoffrey Gitonga, who runs the ATMs in Nairobi, on 0722249600.

TOBACCO PESTICIDE

I need the contact of Hesbon Ogola of the story titled “Tobacco smokes out pests from my veges”.

Valentine Mafunga

EDITOR: Reach the farmer on 0727679049.

YOGHURT BUSINESS

Kindly assist me with the contact of Joseph Karanja, the businessman featured making yoghurt in Nakuru.

Kierimi Ntinyari

EDITOR: Talk to Joseph Karanja on 0722455979.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Do you have any question or enquiry on agribusiness, marketing, logistics, processing, innovation, and technology?

Our pool of experts from Egerton University will respond to your questions with proper advice.

Please send your questions to: [email protected]. Read us online at www.nation.co.ke/seeds of gold