title: Effects of feeding practices on milk yield and composition in peri-urban and rural smallholder dairy cow and pastoral camel herds in Kenya.
abstract: Associations between feeding practices, milk yield, and composition were assessed in smallholder rural and peri-urban dairy cow (n = 97) and pastoral camel (n = 15) herds. A cross-sectional survey supplemented by follow-up collection of feed and milk samples for laboratory analyses was conducted. Data was analyzed using descriptive, correlation, and analysis of variance statistics. Feeding practices in rural smallholder dairy cows' herds were pastured based (87.7%) with napier grass (89.4%) and concentrates (93.9%) as forage and concentrate supplements. In smallholder peri-urban dairy cows' herds, it was napier grass based (68.4%) with concentrates (100%), oat forages (42.9%), and crop residues (28.6%). Pastoral camel herds were shrub browsing (53%), rangeland pasture grazing (20%), or Euphorbia tirucalli feeding (27%). Smallholder rural farmers offered more feeds (16.1 vs 15.3 kg/day) than peri-urban farmers, hence net energy for lactation (1.4 vs 1.3 Mcal/kg), crude protein (CP) (10 vs 12%), and milk yields (12 vs 9 kg/herd/day) was higher. Milk fat was higher in smallholder peri-urban (4.3%) than that of rural (3.9%). In pastoral camels, E. tirucalli feeding had higher daily milk yield/herd, fat, and CP (63 kg, 4.5 and 3.6%) than shrub browsing (35 kg, 4.2 and 3.0%) and grazing (23 kg yield, 2.6 and 2.7%). Five feeding practices out of 14 in smallholder dairy cattle herds resulted in more than 10 kg milk/cow/day because of low forage-to-concentrate ratio (2.5), inclusion of legume crop residue, or processing forages. They present opportunities for improved production in smallholder herds. In pastoral camel, E. tirucalli feeding showed the highest potential.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya. okashongwe@yahoo.fr.|Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales (ISTM-Bukavu), P.O. Box 3036, Bukavu, South-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. okashongwe@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Kashongwe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya.
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Bebe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Food Science and Technology, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Matofari
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL), SteinstraBe, 19, 37213, Witzenhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Huelsebusch
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002162:Camelus / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007630:Kenya; D007774:Lactation; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: Camels feeding systems; Dairy cows feeding; Forage-to-concentrate ratio