Kiambu Sub-county farmers have been urged to observe good hygiene in order to increase profit in animal production.
Most small-scale farming households in Kiambu County as a whole undertake dairy production, poultry keeping, and pig farming, and according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), many families keep an average of 2–3 cows under zero grazing for milk production. Exotic cattle are reared by 67,014 households for dairy, while 10,511 rear indigenous cattle.
Speaking to KNA, the sub-county livestock officer, Ann Mbithi, said that good hygiene reduces the level of animal diseases, thereby lowering losses that emanate from treatment costs.
She further explained that farm hygiene lowers the number of bugs and bacteria that humans are exposed to.
Basic cleaning practices on farms are intended to stop the spread of unwanted pests. Removing organic material such as dirt, feed, and manure is the first step in the sanitation process, whether one is cleaning boots, floors, buckets, water troughs, equipment, or vehicles.
“Outstanding farm hygiene and sanitation reduce the introduction and spread of pests on farms”, Mbithi said.
She cautioned that in order to maintain proper hygiene, farmers should allow cut-down Napier grass to wither to prevent bloat in livestock.
She explained, “Bloat is caused by livestock eating too much wet grass during the rainy season, and this hurts the stomach as the wet grass ferments and releases gas, which becomes like bubbles and cannot be emitted by animals”.
She disclosed that the most common livestock diseases in the region include foot and mouth disease (FMD), mastitis, metabolic disorders, and lumpy skin.
“Foot and mouth kill animals and reduce the production of the herd, with milk production going down,” she explained.
Mbithi said the biggest challenge they are facing as a department is transport and lack of adequate personnel as they are understaffed, hence access to farmers is slow.
By Elizabeth Wanja
