Effect of Concentrate Supplementation on Milk Yield and Density in Dairy Farms
Keywords:
Concentrates,, Milk Yield,, DensityAbstract
Increased human population in the rural area has necessitated better dairy production techniques to meet the demand for milk and utilization of resources. About 50% of land in high potential area has been devoted to milk production from exotic high grade cattle. The dairy enterprise is a business that provides food, employment and high returns to the farmer. Milk quality is a key factor impacting on the milk market and social welfare of the consuming public. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of homemade concentrates on milk yield and density over time. A study was carried out to supplement grazing cattle with four brands of concentrates at Bomet, Bureti and Nyamira Districts. Each of the selected farmers provided two lactating cows for the study and carried out the day-to-day management activities. The farmers were supplied with four bags of dairy meal, 5kg of Maclick supper dairy lick, milk record sheets and a lactometer. Brands of dairy meal formed the treatments of the study as follows; Diet 1-maize meal (50%) + cotton seed cake (20%) + wheat bran (24%) + fish meal (5%), Diet 2- maize germ (44%) + cotton seed cake (22%) + wheat bran (33%). Diet 3-Commercial Concentrates 1, Diet 4 Commercial Concentrate 2 Diet 5 – no concentrate. Each farmer fed 2kg of concentrate in the morning and evening and recorded milk yield and density using lactometers. Concentrate diets had effects on milk yield but treatments did not differ. There was significant improvement of milk yield among all the supplemented cattle over time. This indicated the effects of additional minerals, energy and crude proteins on production of milk. The study found that 89% of milk density could be predicted by the dairy cow’s dietary sources. Highly significant improvement was observed in milk density between Districts and individual farms. Overall feeding day was highly significant for density with the effect of diets manifesting itself from the 22nd day of the consumption of concentrates, though all the dietary concentrate supplements improved milk yield and density. Diet 1 had significantly high density milk. The study portrayed supply of energy, concentrates and minerals alongside sufficient basal diets as the most effective way of improving milk yield and density among dairy cattle.
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