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Factors influencing the production of milk from pastoral cattle herds in Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

S. Roderick ,
P. Stevenson  and
J. Ndung’u
S. Roderick
Affiliation:
Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics Research Unit, Department of Agriculture, Earley Gate, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AT
P. Stevenson
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS
J. Ndung’u
Affiliation:
Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute, Box 362, Kikuyu, Kenya
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Abstract

The Maasai of Kenya are typical of many pastoral communities in that they rely on milk as a major part of their diet. Milk production in three herds of Maasai cattle was studied from 1991 to 1996. Weekly measurements of milk extracted for human consumption were used to estimate lactation length, total offtake and mean daily production. Calf live-weight data were used to estimate total milk yield. Least-mean squares regression and analysis of variance tests were adopted to assess the effect of a number of variables on milk production parameters.

Data from a total of 650 lactations and 383 calvings were collected. Mean daily offtake was 891 ml. The length of lactation of frequently milked cows was 372 (s.e. 7·96) days. Total lactation offtake was estimated at 305 I. Herd, parity level and year of calving differences were observed. Multiple regression analyses indicated that some of the variation in daily offtake could be explained by stage of lactation, season of milking, herd, parity and year of calving. An average total yield of 2·73 I/day was estimated for the first 90 days of lactation. Of this, approximately 0·4 was used for human consumption. Overall, seasonality was seen as the major variable influencing production.

Keywords

cattleKenyamilkpastoralismsemi-arid zones
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 68 , Issue 1 , February 1999 , pp. 201 - 209
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

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