Dairy Cattle

Bos taurus

Domesticated cattle kept primarily for milk production. The backbone of Kenya's smallholder dairy sector, typically reared under zero-grazing, semi-zero-grazing, or open-grazing systems depending on land size and altitude.

Species: Bovine
Family: Bovidae
Climate requirements: Performs best in cool, high-altitude highland areas (1500-2500m) with temperatures of 15-25C and reliable rainfall of 900-1500mm/year for fodder production; exotic breeds are heat-sensitive and prone to reduced milk yield and heat stress in hot, humid lowland conditions without cooling/shade.

Husbandry

Care & Economics

Husbandry guide: Zero-grazing units should provide at least 10-12sqm of covered floor space per cow with a separate feeding trough and clean water always available. Feed a balanced ration of Napier grass or other fodder plus dairy meal/concentrate matched to milk yield, with mineral/salt licks provided continuously. Milk twice daily at consistent times, practice strict udder hygiene (pre/post-dip) to prevent mastitis, and deworm and vaccinate (FMD, lumpy skin disease, anthrax per local schedule) on a routine calendar. Provide shade and ample clean drinking water (a lactating cow needs 60-100 litres/day).
Economic importance: The single largest livestock enterprise for smallholder Kenyan farmers, with over 1.8 million households keeping dairy cattle; milk sales provide a reliable, near-daily cash income and the sector supports an extensive value chain of cooperatives, processors (e.g. Brookside, New KCC) and input suppliers.

Genetics

Breeds

ANX-ANIMALBREED-0000001

Friesian (Holstein-Friesian)

Large black-and-white dairy breed, the most widely kept exotic dairy breed in Kenya; high feed and management requirements but the highest milk-yield potential of the common dairy breeds.

Productivity: Average 15-25 litres/day under good zero-grazing management (up to 30+ litres/day for top herds); milk has relatively lower butterfat content (around 3.5-3.8%) than Ayrshire or Jersey.

Cool highland areas (1800-2500m); heat-sensitive and prone to reduced yield and fertility problems in hot, humid lowland conditions

ANX-ANIMALBREED-0000002

Ayrshire

Reddish-brown and white, medium-sized and hardier than Friesian, with strong legs/udders suited to grazing systems and slightly better heat and disease tolerance.

Productivity: Average 12-18 litres/day, with higher butterfat (around 3.9-4.2%) than Friesian, making it well suited to both drinking milk and processing.

Medium-to-high altitude areas (1200-2200m); more tolerant of variable grazing conditions than Friesian

Animal health

Diseases

East Coast Fever

High

Theileria parva

High fever, swollen lymph nodes (especially the parotid gland), laboured breathing, nasal discharge, loss of appetite, and rapid decline; often fatal within 3 weeks of onset in susceptible exotic dairy breeds if untreated.

Prevention: Regular acaricide spraying/dipping to control tick burden, use of the infection-and-treatment method (ITM) live vaccine in endemic areas, and avoiding introduction of unvaccinated exotic cattle into high-challenge zones without cover.

Treatment: Early treatment with buparvaquone is highly effective if given promptly after diagnosis; supportive fluids and anti-inflammatory care improve survival odds in advanced cases.

Foot and Mouth Disease

High

Foot-and-mouth disease virus

Fever followed by blister-like vesicles and erosions on the mouth, tongue, gums, and between the hooves, causing excessive salivation, lameness, reluctance to move or feed, and a sharp drop in milk yield.

Prevention: Routine vaccination against locally circulating serotypes, movement control/quarantine of animals from outbreak zones, disinfection of vehicles and equipment entering farms, and prompt reporting to veterinary authorities (it is a notifiable disease in Kenya).

Treatment: No specific antiviral cure; treatment is supportive - soft feed and clean water, antiseptic mouth/foot washes, and antibiotics only to control secondary bacterial infection of lesions - while the animal is quarantined until it recovers.