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Summary
Crossbred milking goats are proving a popular source of cash incomes, household milk and manure for smallholder farms in medium to high potential zones of Kenya . In a project to introduce such goats to poorer farmers, FARM Africa and GOK have identified the problem of how to sustain the supply of improved breeding stock to upgrade local animals, particularly in view of past disappointing experiences of large breeding stations. This research project examined a number of constraints, including:
- Definition of breeding objectives and grades of crossbreeds suitable for farmers with different resources,
- Establishment of breeding methods, and
- Development of decentralised institutions and procedures to support the breeding programme.
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| Primary Relevance |
Low - High |
| Feeding and Nutrition |
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| Animal Health |
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| Commodities and Markets |
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| Other Husbandry |
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| Policy Relevance |
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Documents
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Livestock improvement programmes involving smallholder farmers have not been common in the past particularly where crossbreeding is involved, partly because small holders have no infrastructure to support a crossbreeding programme. FARM-Africa has introduced an alternative approach, the community based goat improvement programme, with smallholder farmers. The objective is to increase the productivity of the local goats in the eastern highlands of Kenya and thereby increasing the livelihood and welfare of the smallholder farmers. The strategy has been, to use the farmers self help groups as an entry point to the community. With the establishment of buck stations, for crossbreeding with local goats and breeder units for the production of pure Toggenburgs in the groups and the formation of a farmers organization to organize and coordinate the improvement activities and ensure sustainability of the programme. The benefits that farmers enjoy include faster growth rates and milk from the crossbred goats.
The results of this study demonstrate that crossing of Toggenburg dairy goat breed with the indigenous Kenyan meat goat breeds is economically beneficial as it results into significant improvement in growth rate and meat production potential. Reasonably high growth rates are achieved at farm level, and even better than those achieved at experimental station stations, hence community-based breed improvement programmes have merits.
Dairy goat enterprises are profitable and can contribute significantly to the improvement
of livelihoods of the rural communities in medium to high potential areas of Eastern
Kenya, and elsewhere with similar agro-ecological conditions. Goat rearing under the
cut-and-carry system of feeding can be successful under smallholder production
systems, especially where farmers can grow improved tree fodders, often to mark
boundaries and as live hedges.
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See also the related FARM-Africa publications:
A number of Farm Africa publications are also related to the Meru Goat Project.
Visit their web site at http://www.farmafrica.org.uk |
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FARM-Africa. (2003). Delivering affordable and quality animal health services to Kenya's rural poor. FARM-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. |
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Kaberia, B., Mutia, P. and Ahuya C. (2003). Farmers Dairy Goat Production Handbook. Published jointly by FARM-Africa and Mediae, London, UK. |
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FARM-Africa. (2004). Meru Dairy Goat Project.
James Metenge, Animal Production Officer, talks about the challenges and successes of goat breeding and how cross breeding a local goat with a British Toggenburg can make a difference to families in Africa. |
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FARM-Africa. (2005). Goat Storey Video.
Giving a unique insight into the Meru Dairy Goat and Animal Health Project. The project provides beneficiaries with the opportunity to work their way out of poverty by crossbreeding local goats with British Toggenburgs, which increases milk production. It also provides information on training local people in animal health. A copy of the full video can be ordered from Farm Africa. |
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Or visit their
web page at |
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For more information on FARM-Africa, and FARM-Africa projects, visit their web site at http://www.farmafrica.org.uk/, or email: lynnes@farmafrica.org.uk or info@farmafrica.org.uk.
Phone: +44 (0)207 430 0440
Alternatively write to:
FARM-Africa
9-10 Southampton Place
London
WC1A 2EA
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| Farmers Dairy Goat Production Handbook |
This farmers booklet on rearing dairy goats was written and prepared by FARM Africa to aid farmers keep and maximumly benefit from dairy goats. The booklet has been prepared using simple language that farmers can understand. Hence the efforts to avoid technical language. Writers share their project experiences with farmers.
The growing demand for dairy goats within and outside Kenya has prompted us to prepare this booklet for farmers who may acquire goats from the FARM Africa project in Meru and need skills for rearing/keeping the goats.
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Contents:
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- Feeding of the dairy goat
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Plan for Goat House:
4 does, 1 buck, 6 kids
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Ground plan |
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For more on FARM-Africa and the Meru goat project, inlcuding links to additional publications
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Related Projects
| R6619 |
Husbandry strategies for improving the sustainable
utilisation of forages to improve milk production from cows
and goats on smallholder farms in Tanzania |
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