Application of the climate analogue concept in assessing the probable physiological and haematological responses of Friesian cattle to changing and variable climate in the Kenyan Highlands

Friesian cattle are considered the most sensitive to climate change-induced thermal stress and remain the major dairy breed in Kenya. This study applied the climate analogue concept to predict probable physiological and haematological responses of Friesian cattle in the 2050s to understand their adaptability to a changing and variable climate. Njoro in the Kenya Rift Valley Highlands was used as the reference site and its 2050s climate analogue site was identified in Shawa, based on criteria of a similarity index of 0.8–0.9. Results suggest that Njoro in the 2050s will likely experience increasing temperatures, but changes in rainfall are uncertain. The increasing temperatures will probably be accompanied by mild thermal stress for Friesian cattle during the dry seasons or drought. The thermal humidity index differed between times of day, but not between the analogue sites. Except for rectal temperatures, the physiological and haematological responses differed between the analogue sites, but were within the normal ranges. It is concluded that Friesian cattle in Njoro in the 2050s will probably experience mild thermal stress in the afternoons during the dry seasons, expressed by slight increases in physiological and haematological responses, but will probably remain within the normal margins.Keywords: Dairy cattle, haematimetric, Njoro, Rongai, thermal humidity inde

Effects of fodder conservation and ration formulation interventions on dairy performance in Kenya

Use of conserved forages and proper ration formulation has great potential to bridge the gap in dairy nutrition and reduce seasonal variations in milk yield. This study determined the effects of various fodder and ration formulation interventions on dairy farm performance in North Rift, Eastern, and Central regions of Kenya. Seventy-two farms were purposively selected as participating farms and assigned into six groups of twelve as follows: two groups on silage production, two groups on ration formulation, and two control groups having similar production systems and in the same geographical locations as the other groups. Data on daily dry matter feed intake and milk yield were recorded while laboratory analysis was done to determine milk butterfat and protein content. The data was analyzed using a multilinear regression model to assess the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The results showed that farmers using feed rationing with advisory services had the highest average daily milk yield (19.7 kg/cow) compared to maize train silage (16.8 kg/cow) and those with silage support from Service Provider Enterprises (SPE) (13.3 kg/cow) (P0.05) across the interventions. In conclusion, use of maize train silage and feed rationing with advisory services increased milk yield and reduced seasonal milk fluctuation