This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
Setting Up a Profitable Zero-Grazing Unit ¶
Dr. Joseph Mugachia, a seasoned veterinarian, has seen significant changes in the way case reports are received since the early 1990s. With the advent of information and communication technology, case reporting has shifted from personal visits to various forms of instant communication, including mobile phone calls, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, and email.
Recently, a high school principal from Kilgoris in Narok County reached out to Dr. Mugachia for advice on setting up a student-managed zero-grazing dairy project. The principal's goal was to expose students to improved cattle-keeping methods and create a sustainable revenue stream for the school.
Dr. Mugachia was impressed by the principal's initiative and recalled the head teacher who instilled in him the values of personal hygiene and environmental protection during his primary school days. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a clean environment and adhering to good hygiene practices.
Zero-grazing structures and associated measurements have been published in Seeds of Gold on May 1, 2015. The article can be accessed online for further information.
Dr. Mugachia's response addressed the principal's questions on design, vaccination, and challenges associated with zero-grazing. He recommended obtaining design templates for a zero-grazing unit from the Small-holder Dairy Commercialisation Project (SDCP) of the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries.
In a zero-grazing unit, animals are kept confined in shelters with demarcated areas for feeding, drinking, sleeping/resting cubicles, walking, keeping the young, fodder chopping, milking, storage, and manure dump pits. A one-cow zero-grazing unit should have provisions for the mother cow, its first calf, and second calf, assuming a production rate of one calf per year, removal of bull calves, and an annual death rate of the animals.
For a high school principal to establish a zero-grazing unit of five cows, he would need a total of seven cubicles and an equal number of drinking and feeding places. Cattle in a zero-grazing unit in Kenya are vaccinated against foot and mouth disease, twice a year, and may receive new vaccines administered once a year.
Dr. Mugachia highlighted the challenges of zero-grazing, including high labor requirements, cost of construction, increased risk of udder infection (mastitis), poor nutrition, and stress to the cattle due to confinement. However, he emphasized that these challenges can be managed through good construction, piping of water, and balanced feeding.
He advised the principal to ensure professional guidance in the construction of the unit, minimize commotion, and prevent other animals from accessing the confined cattle. The high school students can benefit maximally from the zero-grazing project if they are well-oriented on the role of animal agriculture in human livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Mugachia concluded by emphasizing the importance of good theoretical and practical knowledge on dairy farming, expressed passion for milk production, and student participation in the project to be motivated and gain practical and theoretical knowledge on dairy production.
