Are you searching Best Fodder For Dairy Cows In Kenya? This article will tell you everything about the best fodder for dairy cows in Kenya.
We are here to make your life easier by providing information like how much feed dairy cows need per day and what cow food consists of?
If you want to know more about this topic, read the article until the end. If you want to know where to buy cow food, you can find the answer in the last paragraph.
However, if you wonder what can be used to feed dairy cows, I will tell you that different kinds of feeds can be provided to dairy cows in Kenya. Other types of feeds include energy feeds, protein mealies or supplements and fibre/roughage meals.
Best Fodder For Dairy Cows In Kenya
In Kenya, dairy cows are a vital part of the economy. To maintain their health and production levels, farmers need to provide them with good quality food daily.
The best fodder for dairy cows in Kenya is sweet sorghum hay, which provides an excellent source of protein and energy.
This blog post will explore the benefits of this type of feed and how it can be made at home by using simple tools like a mortar and pestle or an electric grinder.
Here are some Cereal fodder varieties like
Sorghum and maize are favourites among dairy farmers. This is because they provide their cows with a high amount of energy and protein, making them ideal for Kenya’s climate conditions.
Our site will provide detailed information about cereal fodder and the best ways to make it at home to keep your herd healthy.
Co-4 grass is
Also a great source of fibre and protein for dairy cows. It can be used to supplement sweet sorghum hay, which is usually the most cost-effective choice for farmers in Kenya. Although co-4 grass can be difficult to find at times, farmers should make an effort to seek it out because it contains a high amount of protein.
Maize fodder is
Another alternative for dairy farmers, because it can be used as an energy source when sweet sorghum hay is in short supply. It’s also an excellent option for cows suffering from illnesses like mastitis, which lowers their appetite levels. Maize fodder can be bought or grown at home, depending on how much money you want to spend.
Sorghum fodder
It is a type of cereal fodder with a higher energy content than maize, making it the perfect choice for dairy cows during the colder months of the year. It’s also a more affordable option, which is why it’s one of our top recommendations for Kenyan farmers.
Grass fodder varieties like
Napier grass and bluestem are ideal for dairy cows, but they require more work than cereal fodder. Farmers will need to cut them down regularly to avoid overfeeding their animals. It’s also essential that you don’t mix these with maize or cereals because they can cause digestive problems if eaten in large doses.
Blue buffalo grass
It is a type of grass that’s very high in protein and fibre, making it a great source of nourishment for dairy cows. It can be used to supplement maize fodder, but if it’s grown at home, then farmers should make sure that their cattle don’t eat more than 10% of their daily food from this source.
Guinea grass
It is another type of grass that’s great for dairy cows because it provides them with a source of protein and energy. Although it can be challenging to find in many regions of Kenya, farmers are recommended to feed their cows about 6kg of guinea grass every day.
Hybrid Napier grass
It is a type of fodder high in protein and energy, making it an excellent choice for dairy cows. It also doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients like paraquat or diquat, so farmers can let their livestock eat as much as they want without worrying about causing any damage to their immune systems.
Para grass
It is ideal for Kenyan dairy farmers since it can be harvested at least four times per year. It’s also a great source of energy and protein for both mature and young cows, which means they won’t suffer from malnutrition if this fodder is used correctly. Farmers should make sure to cut the para grass down before it matures because this is when it contains the most nutrients.
Legume fodder varieties
like lucerne and birdsfoot trefoil are among our top recommendations for dairy farmers because they provide a good amount of protein and energy. They can also supplement other types of fodder, but you must provide your cows with them in moderation if their milk production remains stable.
Desmanthus fodder
It contains a high amount of protein and energy, making it an excellent choice for dairy cows. Farmers will need to make sure that their animals don’t overeat this fodder at once, but the Desmanthus will produce more milk if they do.
Lucerne hay
It is the perfect choice for low-producing dairy cows because it contains enough nutrients to help them produce extra milk. It’s also an affordable option, which is why farmers recommend buying lucerne hay in bulk whenever possible.
Stylo grass
It is a type of grass that can supplement other types of fodder and help dairy cows produce more milk. Farmers should make sure to cut the stalks grass before it matures so that they can use its leaves as an ingredient in their dairy cow feed mixture.
Gliricidia fodder
It contains a lot of protein and energy, which makes it an ideal choice for dairy cows. You can increase the milk production of your livestock by feeding them this fodder daily, but you should make sure that they don’t eat more than 10% of their food from this source every day.
Sesbania fodder
It is an ideal choice for dairy cows because it’s rich in protein and contains a lot of energy. This is why you should make sure that your cattle don’t eat more than 10% of their daily food from this source. However, farmers are advised to buy sesbania hay rather than sesbania leaves since they’re a lot easier to find.
Subadult fodder
It is a type of grass that can supplement other fodder and help dairy cows increase their milk production. The only downside is that you’ll need to make sure your animals don’t overeat this fodder at once, which is why it’s essential to adjust the daily dosage if milk production remains stable.
Conclusion
The cows in Kenya are being fed with a variety of things, mainly maize and wheat. This is not the best food for their diet because it lacks protein to produce milk.
Many options could be used as fodder for dairy cows in Kenya, including lucerne hay or fresh grass clippings from local farms.
Lucerne hay has been found to contain more protein than other types of feed while also having less fat content, so this may be worth looking into if you have dairy cows in your area!
