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Commercial Dairy Farming
Rank: Elder Joined: 4/30/2008 Posts: 6,029
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Obi 1 Kanobi wrote:@Munyaotrader
Thanks for the sharing and congrats on the project success.
Where can I go to view good cows in Naks, going for 100K or less.
What level of experience do the people you have employed have, is there a place where people get trained in dairy farming?
I do other soughts of farming and generally really freak out when it comes to productivity of labour
As you said, I don't want to over analyse, will dive right in and swim. For those looking for dairy cattle get in touch with this fellow. He has quite extensive contacts in sourcing for dairy cattle. He sourced for a friend who was establishing a herd for his parents in the rural area. The cows Ayrshire out of 6 one had brucellosis thus was later sold to butcher men while the other 5 with good care are producing on average 20 litres though there is a top producer of 32 litres 0720293112 Patrick Ruto
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Rank: Elder Joined: 12/25/2014 Posts: 2,300 Location: kenya
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UpcomingPaperChaser wrote:MunyaoTrader wrote:I bought 5 in-calfed heifers from Nakuru (Ayrshire breed) at a price of kshs.100,000 each. I built a modern cattle shed kshs.250,000, i bought diesel grass cutter kshs.10,000, i secured insurance kshs.5,000 per cow. Transport is kshs.25,000 per trip from Nakuru to Mtito Andei and i had 2 trips. I have 2 employees each getting kshs.7,500 plus accommodation and food.
The cattle feed is grown on 5 acres and the product is enough to last 6 months and by then the next rains will have come. I also purchase dairy meal to give cows extra nutrients and boost milk production. The cows get sprayed every week but i will build a cattle dip in the coming months.
I have a parent watching the operation on my behalf but with 50% commission as compensation.
My monthly costs are below kshs.30,000 but i can assure you that i am not making a loss. As for record keeping, I am monitoring the milk yield for each cow in the morning, afternoon and evening. Each cow is tagged, i have also the Artificial Insemination certificates so that i can trace the family tree of the calves.
3 calves have been born (2 female & 1 male) and hopefully two more will be born in the next 2 months.
My personal regret was not investing more in dairy farming, i diversified my investments and put little cash on diary farming not knowing how lucrative it can be.
If you want to do this, avoid 'over analyzing' the venture. Just Do It Congrats on my behalf and other Wazuans.......this is the analysis that we would love to see frequently. Statements followed by calculations based on real data. Thanks. MunyaoTrader you actually kept your word by coming back and briefing details about it.ill need your opinion soon when I'm ready . All in all kudos for the spirit of wazuans
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Rank: Elder Joined: 12/25/2014 Posts: 2,300 Location: kenya
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I find wazuans in the red to be more involving than any colored thread .ahold pay more attention to these threads more .thanks mawinder
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 6/5/2010 Posts: 30 Location: Nairobi
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The payback period is less than 6 months after your heifers give birth produce more than 10 litres a day each.
In Mtito Andei the price is slightly higher than central Kenya and it's environs.
Depending on where your target market is, the price of your product determines the payback period.
Also keep in mind that the calves are wealth in the making, they will soon become heifers.
On a separate note, you will be solving a problems in your area by producing milk, employing farm workers, paying a veterinary doctor and purchasing supplies from the nearest town centre.
The economy requires entrepreneurs.
If you are looking for in-calfed heifers selling for less than 100k, I can ask some experienced farmers on your behalf. Kindly WhatsApp me on +254703421203.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 7/23/2008 Posts: 3,017
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Gathige wrote:Obi 1 Kanobi wrote:@Gathige
Also interested in more details;
1. How did you utilise your capital
2. How much did the unit cost
3. How much per cow, and from where. Transport?
4. How much land are you using to grow cattle feed
5. How many employees do you have?
6. How do you monitor, what records do you maintain
7. What are your monthly costs
8. Whats the progress so far
9. Common pitfalls to be avoided?
Thanks @Obi 1 Kanobi, 1. How did you utilise your capital C ows- 1.2m, for 14 cows ( a mix of milkers, calves and served heifers)- now the best in terms of initial production but improving on them. All sourced from Ngong from Njabini. Initial production was low, but now improving.2. How much did the unit cost: I have a temporary shed with a capacity of 14 cows at a cost of 150k. Floor area made of well arranged hard masonary stones, sleeping area made of murram and saw dust topping and normal mabati roof. Plans to put a permanent structure later from the returns3. How much per cow, and from where. Transport? Cost of cows btwn 85-120k, depending on production and growth stage. Sourved from Ngong and Njabini4. How much land are you using to grow cattle feed. My land is approx 15 acres with enough grass. Substituting with hay locally sourced at 200 Kshs a bale5. How many employees do you have? 2 employees at the dairy unit and 1 at the grass farm6. How do you monitor, what records do you maintain. I have a normal diary for the dairy unit with workers filling any daily details- milk production, AI, feeds used etc. At the end of the week i summarise the data in excel on my comp for review,7. What are your monthly costs- Labour- 31k, feeds and supplements 30k, AI, Drugs etc 10k8. Whats the progress so far. The initial stock is improving and sales picking up. Loss at the moment and hoping to break even in the next three months9. Common pitfalls to be avoided? Farming as an enterprise has many challenges, moreso dairying. Some challenges
i. getting good initial stock is a challenge. Hard to tell a good cow when buying as most farmers either sell when culling or sick stock. Two of my cows have aborted meaning the seller had a bad history with them. At the moment treating them as they have potential to be good breeds.
ii. Getting the right commercial feed . Most feeds in the market are poor quality at a high cost. Hoping to start formulating own feeds soon and sourcing for raw materials.
iii. labour: In this biz, workers are the kings. dairying si labour intensive, esp cleaning, milking and feeding. Luckily, i have a dedicated worker at the farm, who has a passion for the job.Still learning and hopefully, i will get own pedigree from my parent stock in 3-5yrs. @Gathige. Thanks for the feedback, very informative, definitely taking the same route. "The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline." James Collins
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Rank: Elder Joined: 7/23/2008 Posts: 3,017
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Thanks @Mawinder and @Munyaotrader. I have both your contacts and will be consulting soon. "The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline." James Collins
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Rank: Elder Joined: 11/5/2010 Posts: 2,459
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radio wrote:@FRM2011, how do you handle kanjo manenos in Kamulu? @radio, am in the machakos side. No kanjo issues at all.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 11/5/2010 Posts: 2,459
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mawinder wrote:Obi 1 Kanobi wrote:@Munyaotrader
Thanks for the sharing and congrats on the project success.
Where can I go to view good cows in Naks, going for 100K or less.
What level of experience do the people you have employed have, is there a place where people get trained in dairy farming?
I do other soughts of farming and generally really freak out when it comes to productivity of labour
As you said, I don't want to over analyse, will dive right in and swim. For those looking for dairy cattle get in touch with this fellow. He has quite extensive contacts in sourcing for dairy cattle. He sourced for a friend who was establishing a herd for his parents in the rural area. The cows Ayrshire out of 6 one had brucellosis thus was later sold to butcher men while the other 5 with good care are producing on average 20 litres though there is a top producer of 32 litres 0720293112 Patrick Ruto To second @mawinder, that ruto guy is rated very highly in the Facebook group(dfk). Sourcing for animals is a nightmare and almost all adverts on olx are from crooks. He is one of the very few you can trust.
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 5/22/2014 Posts: 56
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@munyaoTrader @Gathige @Obi 1 kanobi.. I delighted you put words into action.. Good for you!! I just am not sure why you went for the Aryshire Breed.. Why not Holstein..juu nilidhani hii yote ni directly related to ROI and Profit Profit!!
First of all… I am assuming you know the difference between Friesiens and Holsteins.. Vile vile.. I am hoping you can also tell the difference between an Aryshire and a Red and White Holstein.
The idea here is to have an animal that will convert feed into milk instead of hoarding. Please let me explain this small point.. The more you feed Aryshires.. they share that feed with you.. meaning, they tend to be a little more stocky..aka Kunona.. Holsteins over the years have been bred to convert the feed into prolific milk production through many years of precision breeding. As such, The Holstein tends to stay lean.. skinny depending on what term you want to use.
@mawinder indicated Ayshire producing 20liters a day…. Hio ni kweli kabisa from my experience… lakini je.. huyu Holstein ata toa 40l/day. Same feed, same labor but better results. Many farmers and I mean many farmers are getting this level of production.
Huyu Patrick Ruto… assuming he knows what he is doing… ask him kwanza hata before you go with him to see any Cows akuelezee LDT.. Linear Descriptive Traits ya Ngombe.. na maana yake..
Stature, Rump Width, Strength, Rear Legs side view, Body depth,Rear legs rear View,Dairy form,Foot Angle, Rump Angle,Locomotion,Fore Udder attachment, Front teat placement,Rear Udder Height, Front teat length, Rear udder width, rear teat length,Suspensory ligament or Udder cleft,Rear teat placement, Udder depth and Body condition.
Ndio hio.. and if you take time to understand the essence of each and every one of them…hapo pap!! Wewe expert! And you will never need anybody to help you buy Cows as you will know mara moja.
Ya mwisho.. Dr Wachira 722-509-906 Longonot Place Kijabe Street will help you pro-bono..
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Rank: Member Joined: 1/1/2010 Posts: 511 Location: kandara, Murang'a
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Dawnwoods wrote:@munyaoTrader @Gathige @Obi 1 kanobi.. I delighted you put words into action.. Good for you!! I just am not sure why you went for the Aryshire Breed.. Why not Holstein..juu nilidhani hii yote ni directly related to ROI and Profit Profit!!
First of all… I am assuming you know the difference between Friesiens and Holsteins.. Vile vile.. I am hoping you can also tell the difference between an Aryshire and a Red and White Holstein.
The idea here is to have an animal that will convert feed into milk instead of hoarding. Please let me explain this small point.. The more you feed Aryshires.. they share that feed with you.. meaning, they tend to be a little more stocky..aka Kunona.. Holsteins over the years have been bred to convert the feed into prolific milk production through many years of precision breeding. As such, The Holstein tends to stay lean.. skinny depending on what term you want to use.
@mawinder indicated Ayshire producing 20liters a day…. Hio ni kweli kabisa from my experience… lakini je.. huyu Holstein ata toa 40l/day. Same feed, same labor but better results. Many farmers and I mean many farmers are getting this level of production.
Huyu Patrick Ruto… assuming he knows what he is doing… ask him kwanza hata before you go with him to see any Cows akuelezee LDT.. Linear Descriptive Traits ya Ngombe.. na maana yake..
Stature, Rump Width, Strength, Rear Legs side view, Body depth,Rear legs rear View,Dairy form,Foot Angle, Rump Angle,Locomotion,Fore Udder attachment, Front teat placement,Rear Udder Height, Front teat length, Rear udder width, rear teat length,Suspensory ligament or Udder cleft,Rear teat placement, Udder depth and Body condition.
Ndio hio.. and if you take time to understand the essence of each and every one of them…hapo pap!! Wewe expert! And you will never need anybody to help you buy Cows as you will know mara moja.
Ya mwisho.. Dr Wachira 722-509-906 Longonot Place Kijabe Street will help you pro-bono..
Foresight..
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/18/2011 Posts: 12,069 Location: Kianjokoma
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@danwoods I thought farmers prefer Ayrshire because of milk quality. Some farmers in the rift have been pushing for higher prices per ltr for the thicker milk Friesian si Holstein?
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Rank: Elder Joined: 11/5/2010 Posts: 2,459
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Dawnwoods wrote:@munyaoTrader @Gathige @Obi 1 kanobi.. I delighted you put words into action.. Good for you!! I just am not sure why you went for the Aryshire Breed.. Why not Holstein..juu nilidhani hii yote ni directly related to ROI and Profit Profit!!
First of all… I am assuming you know the difference between Friesiens and Holsteins.. Vile vile.. I am hoping you can also tell the difference between an Aryshire and a Red and White Holstein.
The idea here is to have an animal that will convert feed into milk instead of hoarding. Please let me explain this small point.. The more you feed Aryshires.. they share that feed with you.. meaning, they tend to be a little more stocky..aka Kunona.. Holsteins over the years have been bred to convert the feed into prolific milk production through many years of precision breeding. As such, The Holstein tends to stay lean.. skinny depending on what term you want to use.
@mawinder indicated Ayshire producing 20liters a day…. Hio ni kweli kabisa from my experience… lakini je.. huyu Holstein ata toa 40l/day. Same feed, same labor but better results. Many farmers and I mean many farmers are getting this level of production.
Huyu Patrick Ruto… assuming he knows what he is doing… ask him kwanza hata before you go with him to see any Cows akuelezee LDT.. Linear Descriptive Traits ya Ngombe.. na maana yake..
Stature, Rump Width, Strength, Rear Legs side view, Body depth,Rear legs rear View,Dairy form,Foot Angle, Rump Angle,Locomotion,Fore Udder attachment, Front teat placement,Rear Udder Height, Front teat length, Rear udder width, rear teat length,Suspensory ligament or Udder cleft,Rear teat placement, Udder depth and Body condition.
Ndio hio.. and if you take time to understand the essence of each and every one of them…hapo pap!! Wewe expert! And you will never need anybody to help you buy Cows as you will know mara moja.
Ya mwisho.. Dr Wachira 722-509-906 Longonot Place Kijabe Street will help you pro-bono..
@danwoods  , am awed by your in-depth knowledge in this field and humbled by your willingness to share freely.
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 5/22/2014 Posts: 56
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@  …lets talk about watu wa rift valley… you know.. they are all like other Kenyans.. they hear something and they are on it… I remember the craze about rearing quails.. So some drunk says he bought a different breed juu ya milk content… next day the whole Village is buying the same breed. Hii inaitwa financial hype of those who want to strike it rich and quick. So what is the point? The point is Kenyans in general drink milk more than they eat milk..So weka ngombe wa maziwa wachana na Cheese. Milk solids are only good for Western nations where Cheese is a hot commodity. Yes cheese is still used in 254 but not that much. Point number 2… even if I lost the argument about butterfat content… Ayrshires would still be the wrong Breed because Jerseys have more Solid/butterfat contents in milk than Ayrshires.. and you know Jerseys are smaller in size probably 40% less in body mass than Ayrshires so eats less. Lets add a little more detail on the Jersey.. Since they have a more solid Hoof than Ayrshires, they last longer when it comes to longevity and also particularly they don’t have to support that immense Ayrshire weight. Ayrshire is only good for Hobby Farmers.. lakini kama premise yako ni Pesa… this my friend is the wrong breed. Hi Holstein is very different from Friesian. This is a topic of another day… Twende back to how this guy has constructed the Shed.. is it @Obi 1 kanoba or @ MunyauTrader… Aki with all due respect… Cows were never meant to walk on Stones or Concrete.. Sasa hii Mawe.. uko na Hoof Trimmer? Uko na Copper Sulfate footbath? je.. ushawahi sikio ugonjwa wa Digital Dermatitis? Well tusonge mbele.. why in the world did you put Murram and saw dust?? Why Boss why? Murram is good for roads because it is Compact and withstands rain.. water.. So.. essentially mkojo..maji..mvua mavi.. when discharged it will stay right there.. and when the Cow lays down for a rest.. ndio hio Mastitis.. So what to do? Hapo Mtito Andei kuna a lot of sand.. Sand is highly permeable… it doesn’t hold any water.. Standing water is your enemy. Enuff said. Ya mwisho… When buying other Cows infuture.. hata kaa sio Pure Pedigree.. Most in 254 have records of Sire, Dam, Maternal and Paternal sides and check if any was ever Dx with BLAD.. Bovine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency.. na hata hii ni topic ya another siku.. By the way climatically… what is the elevation of mtito.. Ngong and Njabini??? In other words… why don’t we plant potatoes in mtito?? Bells ringing? Yes? Yeah?what? Sorry this is too much.. I guess infuture I will write stuff like this when sober.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 7/23/2008 Posts: 3,017
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@Danwoods The reason why I like the info from @Munyaotrader and @Gathige is because they are actually rearing the animals and getting 20 litres per cow. If you are actually keeping Holstein and getting 40 litres, then please confirm it here and give us details. We will listen and learn. Have you actually built a better shed, please tell us what you used and what it cost so we can learn and improve. My point is, this thread is great coz we are learning from people who are actually doing the trade every day. Your stats are great but are they being practically done? "The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline." James Collins
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 5/22/2014 Posts: 56
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@Danwoods
The reason why I like the info from @Munyaotrader and @Gathige is because they are actually rearing the animals and getting 20 litres per cow.
If you are actually keeping Holstein and getting 40 litres, then please confirm it here and give us details. We will listen and learn.
Have you actually built a better shed, please tell us what you used and what it cost so we can learn and improve.
My point is, this thread is great coz we are learning from people who are actually doing the trade every day.
Your stats are great but are they being practically done?
@Obi kanobi..
Yes practically being done sasa hivi.. infact if i knew where you are.. i would direct you sasa hivi..and since being done all over.. i bet there is one, two or three near you. remember.. i already placed a name and a pro-bono contact earlier..
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/19/2010 Posts: 3,503 Location: Uganda
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Very interesting, how many dairy cows can be done comfortably on one acre? punda amecheka
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Rank: Elder Joined: 9/29/2006 Posts: 2,570
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Holsteins make up 90% of the US dairy herd, which number around 9 million cattle. https://www.quora.com/Wh...acts-about-holstein-cows The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it's conformity.
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Rank: Member Joined: 1/1/2010 Posts: 511 Location: kandara, Murang'a
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[quote=jerry]Holsteins make up 90% of the US dairy herd, which number around 9 million cattle. https://www.quora.com/Wh...cts-about-holstein-cows[/quote] Looking for a dairy farm manager willing to pay Foresight..
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/9/2012 Posts: 576
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Great info here for anyone who intends to start Dairy farming. Always wanted to start,now i will dip in there. Africa belongs to Africans.
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/9/2012 Posts: 576
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There are cows which produce 3 litres in a day,despite the stage of calving.Mostly reared by farmers practicing subsistence farming. Is it to possible to improve the production of those animals?If possible how? Africa belongs to Africans.
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