Register your dairy cows for best breeding

To upgrade your dairy cows, you have to apply for registration with the Kenya Livestock Breeders Organisation (KLBO). We provide the registration process below:

• The dairy farmer or company fills the Kenya Stud Book application form, which gives details on the breed of livestock kept, your contacts, physical location of the farm.

In the form the farmer has to give a name or code through which their animals will be known and identified (also known as the pre-fix form).

• When the KSB approves the herd prefix; specific letters (of the Alphabet) are issued to the prospective breeder. The breeder fills in the application for livestock registration form for each animal to be registered and contacts KSB or breeders society they wish to join for the inspection of their animals.

• The duly filled application forms are then forwarded to KSB, which after approval issues a registration certificate.

• The farmer then pays a minimal fee for each animal (see table below) to be registered depending on the class, breed and sex.

After registration of dairy cows with the KSB, farmers have also to register with the Dairy Recording Service of Kenya (DRSK). This is the country’s milk recording centre. Registered breeders have to do a systematic measurement and recording of daily milk yield of all their registered animals.

This also includes a consistent sampling of the milk for quality analysis, all of which are summarized in the form of reports at the end of a lactation period. The following are the functions of the DRSK:

• It collects and collates (examination and analysis) lactation (milk production) data from registered farms.

• It prepares lactation certificates of registered dairy cows.

• It prepares herd average reports.

 • It maintains and avails relevant production data to the Bull Purchasing Committee for purposes of contract mating scheme.

• To avail relevant information or data to the Livestock Recording Centre for purposes of progeny testing (evaluation of genetic merit of insemination bulls) and recruitment of dams for contract mating.

• The Service also offers advice to farmers on good livestock management practices through its extension service. Advantages of registering dairy cows with KSB

• Milk records reports help guide the farmers on monitoring the performance of farm management.

 • They help the farmer to make decisions on selection, culling (selling of unwanted animals, insurance claims, feeding and breeding.

• Registered animals fetch better prices in the market. Consistency in breeding and milk recording guarantees, ownership of pedigree without having to buy expensive pedigree dairy cows from other farmers.

• Owners of registered dairy cows can be contracted by the Kenya Animal Genetic Resource Centre (KAGRC) to supply pedigree bulls and also progeny testing scheme (evaluation of daughters of registered bulls for quality control purposes).

• Registered farmers can take their animals to exhibitions, field days and the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) and KSB shows where prospective buyers can view and give better prices than that offered in the market.

• Farmers also benefit from increased production in terms of milk and meat.

KSB charges for dairy cattle breeds

Grade/Class                     Cost

Pool (Cross breed) cow  Sh200

Foundation cow              Sh250

Intermediate cow            Sh300  

Appendix cow                 Sh300

Pedigree cow                  Sh400

Dairy bulls only pedigree Sh1,000

NB: The charges are made once in the lifetime of an animal.