06/12/2025
🐄 Why kenya’s smallholder farmers struggle with consistent animal nutrition
Let’s talk about something that silently eats into farm profits ..... poor nutrition.
Many Kenyan farmers are doing their best, but the challenges are real:
🔹 1. High cost of commercial freds
Feed prices keep rising, making it hard to maintain consistency.
Most farmers end up reducing quantities or switching brands often and animals feel that impact immediately.
🔹 2. Poor forage planning
Many farms don’t plan ahead for dry seasons.
So during drought, animals survive on whatever is available usually low-quality grass with little protein or energy.
🔹 3. Limited knowledge on balancing rations
Feeding animals is not just “give hay and pellets.”
Animals need balanced rations for energy, protein, minerals and vitamins.
Most farmers underfeed without knowing especially on protein.
🔹 4. The cost on productivity
When nutrition is inconsistent, animals respond through:
• Low milk production
• Slow growth
• Poor fertility
• Increased disease cases
• Weak immunity
Nutrition is the foundation of animal health even the best drugs can’t fix poor feeding.
Here's what you're needed to do...
✅ Practical solutions farmers can start with
You don’t need millions to improve animal nutrition. Start here:
• Plant and conserve forages like Napier, brachiaria, desmodium and make silage before the dry season.
• Use by-products wisely (maize germ, wheat bran, cottonseed cake).
• Provide mineral blocks or loose minerals every day.
• Follow feeding consistency same quality, same time.
• Seek advice from a local vet or nutritionist when unsure.
Better feeding = healthier animals = higher profits.
Let’s build farms that thrive, not just survive.
゚viralシ
🖋️. AB Veterinary Services
🖋️. Daktari Veterinary
