Water sources and quality for dairy cattle in smallholder farms in semi-arid Kenya

摘要

Thequalityandprovisionofwaterisnotoptimaltomaximizedairycattleperformanceandhealthinthesemi-aridecosystemsofKenya.Asurveytargeting56smallholderdairyfarmerswasconductedaround15-kmradiusofperi-urbanareasofWotetownintheeasternregionofKenya.Thefarmerswereinterviewedone-on-oneusingasimplestructuredquestionnaireinMayandJune2013.Thequalityofwaterfrom12sourceswasanalysed.Theobjectiveofthestudywastoassessthesourcesandqualityofwaterfordairycattleandcopingstrategiesamongsmallholderfarmersinperi-urbanareasofeasternKenya.Thestudyshowedthattomitigatewaterscarcity,thefarmershaddiversifiedoptionsofwatersourceswithapproximately57%obtainingwaterfrommorethanonesource.Themajorsourcesofwaterfordairycattlewereshallowwellsandvalleybottoms.However,thewaterfromshallowwellsandvalleybottomshadhighlevelsofchlorides(mean67.77and70.37me/litre,respectively)andsulphates(99.33and25.63me/litre,respectively)andwassalinethusnotsuitablefordairycattle.ThepHwasalkaline(pH8.0)andabovethepreferredlevelforlivestock.Goodqualitywaterwaslimitedmainlytorainwaterharvestedfromhousesrooftopandinwaterpans.Nevertheless,thequantitystoredfromrooftopswasnormallylow(5000litresperhousehold)andwasoccasionallyusedforlivestockinmostfarms.Itwasregardedaspremiumwaterduetoitshighqualityandwasmainlypreservedforhouseholduse.Ox-cartswerethemostwidelyused(41%)meansoftransportingwaterwhilebicyclesweretheleastused(5.4%).Tosupplyadequategoodqualitywaterfordairycattle,thereisneedtoharvestmorerainwaterfromrooftopsbyinstallingguttersystemsandincreasingstoragecapacitybyacquiringlargertanks.