Pig feeds is eating into my profits
Pig-rearing systems can be broadly classified into two — intensive or semi-intensive.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 5 years ago
Pig feeds is eating into my profits
Beware! That fake vet can kill your dear cow
Quacks make farmers incur lots of unnecessary expense; worst they can literary kill your animal.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 5 years ago
Beware! That fake vet can kill your dear cow
Myths about milking you need to discard
Yes, Friesian ranks first in quantitative milk production terms, but there are other critical factors at play.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 5 years ago
Myths about milking you need to discard
That lush green grass can poison your cow
It can be acute and an animal that appeared healthy can die overnight. The simple form of the disease is caused by lack of magnesium in...
By Dr Othieno Joseph 5 years ago
That lush green grass can poison your cow
Taking care of cattle during rainy season
Farmers must be aware of the good and the bad to tap into the opportunity presented by the rains or mitigate against negative effects.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Taking care of cattle during rainy season
You can turn that filthy waste to gas
Waste when well managed can be a form of value addition that you can get a farmer a marketable product...
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
You can turn that filthy waste to gas
How to make more cash from beef business
Before you get into beef production, identify a steady market
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
How to make more cash from beef business
Busaa for cows, is it drunk or sober idea?
Can traditional brew – busaa to treat Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)?
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Busaa for cows, is it drunk or sober idea?
Protect your cattle from deadly anthrax
The festive season is here with us and it comes with an appetite for nyama choma feasts. During such festive seasons when meat is on demand, illegal home slaughter of animals is common.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Protect your cattle from deadly anthrax
Counties stand the best chance in fighting nagana
Most counties, especially those not known for commercial dairy production have put a lot of effort in promoting dairy farming.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Counties stand the best chance in fighting nagana
Crossbreeding can work magic on your low-milk Zebu cow
Robin Aswani has a “good” Zebu cow; good in the sense that it produces relatively high quantity of milk compared to other cows in its league.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Crossbreeding can work magic on your low-milk Zebu cow
Goats will do better on your idle plot
Livestock farming in this modern day shouldn’t be viewed in a narrow way.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Goats will do better on your idle plot
Hey, this is why no butcher wants to buy your goat and sheep meat
Mr Igolo is a sad shoats (goats and sheep) farmer. He had a flock of about 150 shoats on his ten acre farm in Isinya in the outskirts of Nairobi.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 6 years ago
Hey, this is why no butcher wants to buy your goat and sheep meat
Help! My cow has been bewitched
I had just finished my Fourth Form and wasn’t sure I would secure a place at vet school when Lazaro’s only cow suffered a “funny disease”.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Help! My cow has been bewitched
Why do my pigs bite off each others tails?
I always look forward to interactions with one of my long time clients — Mr Makumi, a pig farmer in Nyambare, Limuru near Uplands Beacon Factory.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Why do my pigs bite off each others tails?
Want healthy herd? Keep them far from swamps
Last week, I went to Rift Valley and made an interesting observation on the grazing behaviour of many livestock farmers. Due to the drought conditions and feed scarcity, they are allowing their cattle to feed near swamps.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Want healthy herd? Keep them far from swamps
That Difficult Decision for a Farmer –"Getting Rid of a Dairy Animal"
There comes a time when a farmer has to get rid of an otherwise productive dairy animal. It is a difficult decision but there are health conditions that dictate you get rid of a dairy animal through safe disposal or at a throw away price.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
That Difficult Decision for a Farmer –"Getting Rid of a Dairy Animal"
For more milk, cows must be happy
Two hormones that serve two opposite roles are the reason behind these two scenarios, namely oxytocin and adrenalin, commonly called milk let down and fight or flight hormones, respectively. As the names suggest you can already know which is responsible for what outcome.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
For more milk, cows must be happy
How to make meat safe for everyone this festive season
As has been tradition, the celebrations are normally marked by merry making, family get-together and at the centre of it, goats, sheep, cattle, turkeys and chickens in their thousands will be slaughtered to supply the much-needed meat. This puts the farmer at the centre of the celebrations as the main supplier of meat.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
How to make meat safe for everyone this festive season
Napier grass, the nutritious cattle ugali, but is it all your cow needs?
Napier grass has the ability to withstand drought conditions, this coupled with dwindling land size for small dairy holders has made it a preferred choice.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Napier grass, the nutritious cattle ugali, but is it all your cow needs?
How to crack the dreaded New Castle Disease in your poultry
Many vets and farmers will never wish to encounter Newcastle Disease (NCD). In it is virulent form, the disease can silence the whole flock in just two weeks.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
How to crack the dreaded New Castle Disease in your poultry
Keep clean farm records to ensure better returns
On every farm there are hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or even annual events that happen and need documentation. These events form the farm story - a narrative whose analysis can give direction to a success harbour.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Keep clean farm records to ensure better returns
Yes, you can determine the age of cattle by checking their teeth
How they are arranged, time of eruption and when the milk teeth give way to permanent ones differ from species to species.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
 Yes, you can determine the age of cattle by checking their teeth
For better herd health, hooves matter
Some years back I was among a team of vets training livestock farmers in Bungoma County on keeping exotic dairy animals. The farmers were being prepared by the county government to crossover from indigenous zebu to exotic dairy breeds.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
For better herd health, hooves matter
Dos and don’ts when a cow is in a dry period
During this period milking is stopped and the cow given special treatment for maximum production in the next lactation.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Dos and don’ts when a cow is in a dry period
Farmers should not use antibiotics to promote growth in livestock
Since the accidental discovery of antibiotics by Alexander Fleming in 1928 and commercialisation in the 1940s, antibiotics have drastically reduced number of deaths due to bacterial infections in both man and animals.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Farmers should not use antibiotics to promote growth in livestock
Yes, that raw milk is poison to your clients!
Previously in this column, I have written about Brucellosis in cattle. This is a serious disease in dairy enterprises and pastoral systems.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Yes, that raw milk is poison to your clients!
Diseases shared between farmers, their cats and dogs
Of all the farms I have visited in the course of my veterinary duties I have noticed that you will always be welcomed by a barking dog at the gate.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Diseases shared between farmers, their cats and dogs
Poultry diseases that come with floods
The El Niño rains come with many challenges for farmers. Today, we look at two poultry diseases that follow heavy rains.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Poultry diseases that come with floods
Managing fish farm from best species, feeding and overstocking
Nile tilapia is a species generally accepted by the market and therefore has a higher demand compared to other scary species like barracuda.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Managing fish farm from best species, feeding and overstocking
Control amount of grain your flock eats
Accidental excessive feeding on grains especially maize, wheat or barley in cattle, sheep and goats will result in a condition called grain overload, acidosis or grain poisoning.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Control amount of grain your flock eats
Respect animal rights to stimulate productivity
The brutal killings of two lions last week sparked off emotional condemnation against the heinous acts. I was equally disturbed — Mohawk and Lemek’s kingdoms didn’t have to be ended abruptly by 10 minus one bullets and a number of poisoned arrows.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 7 years ago
Respect animal rights to stimulate productivity
With just a simple vaccine, your flock can beat these diseases
Prevention is better than cure is an old adage which applies to vaccination as a disease prevention strategy.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
With just a simple vaccine, your flock can beat these diseases
Hygiene is top priority while handling milk
If you have bought raw milk then you are not new to its unsavoury smell. This smell is characteristic in nature and you can trace it
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
Hygiene is top priority while handling milk
Everything you wanted to know about exotic birds
In some farms these exotic birds pass for pets; but you can get more from them apart from that rare beauty they crown to your farm.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
Everything you wanted to know about exotic birds
How to detect and treat fractures or dislocations in your livestock
Every living being has a form of skeletal system which protects its internal delicate organs from external forces. In addition, the skeletal system gives shape and aids in movement.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
How to detect and treat fractures or dislocations in your livestock
Sheep farming can fetch you riches if driven well
Sheep farming is perhaps the most flexible of all livestock enterprises.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
Sheep farming can fetch you riches if driven well
Pastures, animal nutrition and health
Pastures form the staple food for ruminants; the health and variety of pastures is directly proportionate to productivity and health of ruminants.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
Pastures, animal nutrition and health
When the time comes to say goodbye to that dear cow
Mr John Kanyanya is a small-scale farmer in my Mumias rural backyard. Being an old man he still holds onto the mantra I was educated by the village and whenever I’m around I give him free veterinary services as a way of “paying back” to the society.
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
When the time comes to say goodbye to that dear cow
A farmer's role when a cow goes into labour
Given that it can present as normal or difficult birth, farmer needs to be extra vigilant to know when to call a vet
By Dr Othieno Joseph 8 years ago
A farmer's role when a cow goes into labour
Why DP Gachagua is desperate to mend ties with Kenyatta family
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