The effect of maize bran or maize bran mixed with sunflower cake on the performance of smallholder dairy cows in urban and peri-urban area in Morogoro, Tanzania

摘要

Astudywasconductedtodeterminetheeffectoffeedingmilkingcowsasupplementofmaizebranalone(MB)ormaizebranmixedwithsunflowermeal(MBS)duringthedryseason.Eighteensmallholderfarmsinurbanandperi-urbanareasofMorogoropractisingcompletezerograzingwithnotlessthantwomilkingcowsparticipatedinthetrial.Forty-eightcowswereusedwithrangesofbodyweight232-556kg,previousmilkyield3-13litres/day,bodyconditionscorenbsp;2.5-5,parity2-5,and3-6monthspostcalving.nbsp;Foreachfarm,bothMBSandMBtreatmentswererandomlydistributedtothecows.Bodyweightsandbodyconditionscoresweretakenbefore,at6thand12thweekoftreatment.Dailymilkproductionwasrecordedthreeweeksbefore,12weeksduringand3weeksafterthewithdrawaloftreatments.Milksampleswerecollectedduringthe12thweekoftreatmentandanalysedforbutterfat(BF),crudeprotein(CP)andtotalsolids(TS).Theeconomicviabilityofthedairyenterprisesinrelationtosupplementationwasalsoassessed.MBSfedcowshadsignificantlyhigher(P0.001)milkyieldcomparedtoMBfedcows.Nodifferenceswereobservedinmilkcompositionparameters,bodyweightsandbodyconditionchanges.TheeconomicreturnforsunflowermealincorporationinMBSwasfoundtobeveryhigh.Itisconcludedthatusingsunflowermealmixedwithmaizebranwaseffectiveinincreasingmilkyieldduringthedryseasonandwaseconomicallyprofitablecomparedtomaizebranalone.