Feedback: Herbicides to weed bean crop
A man sprays bean plants in a farm. After planting beans, use a pre-emergence herbicide such as Dual gold to prevent the weed seeds from emergence. FILE PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
- Beef farming is a rewarding enterprise because of the huge demand for the product, which is currently not being met through local production.
- Many farms, therefore, dispose-off bull calves. It is, however, possible to sell them after birth, rear them as beef steers, keep them as future sires, or slaughter them after birth for veal production.
- Some feed manufacturers are not keen on standards of feeds thus making it difficult to meet the right weight at the right time.
- Animals raised in feedlots use most of the nutrient resources gained for weight gain and body maintenance.
SELECTIVE HERBICIDES TO USE WHEN GROWING BEANS
I want to grow beans and use herbicides for weeding. Kindly advise the best selective herbicide to use.
Richard Mbui
There are several chemicals that you can use during the season. For clearing land before planting, you can use non-selective herbicides (Glyphosates) such as Touchdown, Round up turbo, Weedal and Weedsate, among others.
After planting (up to three days later), use a pre-emergence herbicide such as Dual gold to prevent the weed seeds from emergence.
This gives you a clean field for a longer time. At a later stage, you can use bean clean from or Basagran (480 g/lt bendioxide (thiadiazine)) for weeding.
Muriuki Ruth Wangari,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.
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RAISING BULL CALVES
Please advise me on raising male grade cattle as I would like to start buying calves for meat. Let me know how to feed them, what to feed and the type of housing for the babies.
Jane Waweru, Juja, Kiambu County
Beef farming is a rewarding enterprise because of the huge demand for the product, which is currently not being met through local production. Farmers can raise or buy calves or weaners, then feed and fatten them for slaughter.
The enterprise is particularly suitable for the dry mid-altitude zones. Once calves are born, ensure that they take maximum colostrum so that they acquire immunity.
After a week, they can be introduced to milk replacers and the cow milk can be sold to earn the farmer income. Some of the breeds that are bred specifically for beef include Boran, Sahiwal (and its crosses) and Fleckvieh.
They do well in arid and semi-arid areas because they are tolerant to the harsh conditions, including tick-borne diseases.
They are normally kept under intensive systems. Usually, dairy farms do not keep bull calves for long periods because they consume milk that would otherwise be sold or consumed at home and compete with heifers for care and management.
Many farms, therefore, dispose-off bull calves. It is, however, possible to sell them after birth, rear them as beef steers, keep them as future sires, or slaughter them after birth for veal production.
The cost of rearing them will determine what you do with the male calves. Young dairy bull calves are usually disposed from two days to a month old.
Unless you have a steady supply of milk, it is advisable that you get calves aged two months and above. Calves require maximum care, ensure there is a veterinarian checking up on them regularly and control both internal and external parasites.
When the calves arrive on the farm, isolate them into an area where you can observe them closely for two weeks. This enables you to prevent the spread of diseases.
As a standard practice, house calves in individual stalls until they are two months old. Afterwards, separate calves according to weight to make feeding and management easier.
When the calves arrive on the farm, isolate them into an area where you can observe them closely for two weeks. This enables you to prevent the spread of diseases. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Give them milk or milk replacer for those that are yet to be weaned, calf pellets for those which have been weaned or are close to weaning, and plenty of fresh water and feed.
To raise cattle with both maximum yield and maximum tenderness, male cattle are castrated before puberty, which makes the animals to mature in size while their musculature stays soft and tender.
Within 18-25 months, the bulls should be ready for market. Local butcheries offer a market for beef as well as the international market.
They are given 8-10 per cent of their body weight in terms of milk. Good planning and preparation are essential for successful beef production.
Ensure adequate fodder is available for your animals throughout the year, know where you will get bull calves and what ages they will be – the younger they are, the more delicate they are likely to be and the more care they will need.
Determine the desirable finishing weights, identify the target market, and do a market survey. Availability of enough calves that have been weaned from milk is the main challenge in this business.
A farmer must make sure such a venture has the adequate supply of calves to start with. Calculate the cost of buying and raising calves versus the projected income to get estimates of the likely net income.
Dennis Kigiri,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.
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I NEED BAMBOO, CEDAR SEEDLINGS
Please, can I get bamboo or cedar tree seedlings for my farm please.
Godfrey Bruz Magawe, Nairobi
You can visit Kenya Forest Research Institute. They distribute seeds at the following centres:Main sales office Muguga, email: [email protected] Londiani: Tel +254-52-64028/64082, Karura: Tel +254-20-2011628/9, Gede: Tel+254-20-2386358,Maseno:Tel+254-739-684019;
+254-738-08338. For expert advice on tree farming and quality seeds.
Muriuki Ruth Wangari,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.
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WHY CHICKEN COSTS ARE HIGH IN KENYA
I would like to know how Brazil is able to cheaply rear broilers and be able to sell them in the Middle East for less than Sh200 for 1.3kg whereas Kenya production cost is at Sh240.
Mate J.M
The answer lies in how the government relates with farmers in Brazil as compared to Kenya, where the cost of production is extremely high.
This include the cost of feeds that that account for about 70 per cent of production costs. The feed ingredients used to make broiler feeds are imported especially the protein sources.
Again, some feed manufacturers are not keen on standards of feeds thus making it difficult to meet the right weight at the right time.
The national and county governments haven’t allocated enough funds to support poultry farmers, the taxation regime is not farmer friendly and rarely will there be subsidies on broiler production and hence as a result, farmers in Kenya are forced to sell their product at a high price to earn a living. FILE PHOTO | NMG
As a consequence, broilers will be on the farm for prolonged periods increasing the cost. The national and county government haven’t allocated enough funds to support poultry farmers, the taxation regime is not farmer friendly and rarely will there be subsidies on broiler production.
As a result, farmers in Kenya are forced to sell their product at a high price to earn a living.
Dennis Kigiri,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University
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STARTING A FEEDLOT
My name is Timothy. I come from Kajiado County. I am writing to request for expert opinion on how I can start feedlot farming preferably for 30 animals.
I need to know the cost of starting the business until I break even, projected profits for 30 animals, availability of market and risks. I also need to ask whether I can do a feed lot for goats and sheep.
The basic underlying principle of raising animals on feedlot is to increase the amount of meat produced as fast as possible.
Animals raised in feedlots use most of the nutrient resources gained for weight gain and body maintenance. You can access all information regarding use of feedlot on Seeds of Gold issues dated May 12 and 19.
The stories are also available online.
Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University
