Small scale dairy farming in Zambia
Milk yield levels in dairy cows are influenced by many factors such as nutrition, breed, health status, management and environment. This study was conducted among small scale farmers in Zambia, where the climate can be dry for up to six months per year and cause a lack of green pasture for livestock...
| Autor principal: | |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Second cycle, A2E |
| Lenguaje: | sueco Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2015
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8066/ |
| _version_ | 1855571289245220864 |
|---|---|
| author | Hofer, Anna |
| author_browse | Hofer, Anna |
| author_facet | Hofer, Anna |
| author_sort | Hofer, Anna |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | Milk yield levels in dairy cows are influenced by many factors such as nutrition, breed, health status, management and environment. This study was conducted among small scale farmers in Zambia, where the climate can be dry for up to six months per year and cause a lack of green pasture for livestock and on-farm produced feed. The purpose of this study was to identify management factors that can influence milk yield at small scale dairy farms in Zambia, and present advice that could improve productivity, without the need of expensive investments. The study included semi-structured questionnaires presented to the farmers (n=29) including questions about cattle management and milk production. Testing of somatic cell count (SCC) with DCC (DeLaval Cell Counter) from herd milk samples (n=56) and observation of housing and animal body condition on-farm was also made. The farms in this study had a mean milk yield of 6.9 liter per cow and day. A higher milk yield was found for farmers that in addition to grazing, supplemented their cows with forage and concentrates, especially if fed all year around and not only in the dry season. A majority of the herd milk tests (n=56) had a high SCC (64 % over 200 000 cell/ml) which indicate that udder infection were common. The results indicate that an improvement in feeding (both energy and protein, as well as an improvement in udder health can improve milk yield for the herds in the present study. |
| format | Second cycle, A2E |
| id | RepoSLU8066 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Swedish Inglés |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU80662015-06-23T09:33:55Z https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8066/ Small scale dairy farming in Zambia Hofer, Anna Animal husbandry Animal physiology - Nutrition Milk yield levels in dairy cows are influenced by many factors such as nutrition, breed, health status, management and environment. This study was conducted among small scale farmers in Zambia, where the climate can be dry for up to six months per year and cause a lack of green pasture for livestock and on-farm produced feed. The purpose of this study was to identify management factors that can influence milk yield at small scale dairy farms in Zambia, and present advice that could improve productivity, without the need of expensive investments. The study included semi-structured questionnaires presented to the farmers (n=29) including questions about cattle management and milk production. Testing of somatic cell count (SCC) with DCC (DeLaval Cell Counter) from herd milk samples (n=56) and observation of housing and animal body condition on-farm was also made. The farms in this study had a mean milk yield of 6.9 liter per cow and day. A higher milk yield was found for farmers that in addition to grazing, supplemented their cows with forage and concentrates, especially if fed all year around and not only in the dry season. A majority of the herd milk tests (n=56) had a high SCC (64 % over 200 000 cell/ml) which indicate that udder infection were common. The results indicate that an improvement in feeding (both energy and protein, as well as an improvement in udder health can improve milk yield for the herds in the present study. Mjölkproduktionen hos mjölkkor påverkas av flera faktorer så som nutrition, ras, hälsostatus, skötsel och miljö. Denna studie utfördes i Zambia där klimatet kan vara torrt i upp till 6 månader per år, vilket orsakar brist på grönt bete för boskapen och även brist på foder som produceras på gårdarna. Syftet med studien var att identifiera faktorer som kunde påverka mjölkproduktionen för småskaliga bönder i Zambia, och även ta fram rekommendationer på hur den kan förbättras utan dyra investeringar. Studien utfördes med hjälp av semi-strukturerade enkäter där frågor om boskapsskötsel och mjölkproduktion ställdes till bönderna (n=29). Somatiskt celltal i besättningsmjölk testades också med DeLaval celltalsräknare (n=56) och observationer av djuren och inhysningssystem gjordes vid besök på gårdarna. Resultatet visade en mjölkproduktion på 6.9 liter i medeltal i besättningarna. En högre mjölkproduktion sågs för bönder som utöver bete utfodrade sina kor med grovfoder och kraftfoder, i synnerhet om de utfodrade djuren året om och inte enbart i torrsäsong. En majoritet av mjölkproverna från besättningsproverna hade ett högt somatiskt celltal (64 % låg över 200 000 celler/ml) vilket indikerar att juverinfektioner var vanligt förekommande. Sammanfattningsvis kan en förbättring av utfodringsrutinerna (både i energi och protein) såväl som en förbättring av juverhälsan på besättningsnivå öka mjölkproduktionen för besättningarna som ingick i denna studie. 2015-06-18 Second cycle, A2E NonPeerReviewed application/pdf sv https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8066/7/hofer_a_150617.pdf Hofer, Anna, 2015. Small scale dairy farming in Zambia. Second cycle, A2E. Uppsala: (VH) > Dept. of Animal Nutrition and Management (until 231231) <https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/view/divisions/OID-650.html> urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-4490 eng |
| spellingShingle | Animal husbandry Animal physiology - Nutrition Hofer, Anna Small scale dairy farming in Zambia |
| title | Small scale dairy farming in Zambia |
| title_full | Small scale dairy farming in Zambia |
| title_fullStr | Small scale dairy farming in Zambia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Small scale dairy farming in Zambia |
| title_short | Small scale dairy farming in Zambia |
| title_sort | small scale dairy farming in zambia |
| topic | Animal husbandry Animal physiology - Nutrition |
| url | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8066/ https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8066/ |