Maple:
1) Farm hydroponic fodder lab

2) 4 days old sorghum fodder

3) farm feed concentrates + bovine medications

Loving what am seeing, l am feeling Kenya in your farm! Good you have adopted hydroponics, reduces cost on feeding. I wish you did watch the episode on Kenya's NTV Seeds of Gold on diary farming it would have been of a great advantage to you as it highlighted a diary farm and its processes as one gets to know about silage production and there were Professors on ground who were giving practical advice. The farm produces a litre of milk at N38. I hope in the coming weeks the episode will be uploaded on YouTube, I will then send you a link to down load.

I recently advised another Nigerian who is also here in Nairobi that since he has interest in milk production and in the future would love to set up diary farm in Nsukka, he should be making out time to go understudy diary farms here in order to earn practical experience.

Do you know about Canola seeds?

Good suggestion. And you got the right feelings as well, because I have also been inspired by the booming dairy industry in Kenya. Sometimes, I cant help but feel saddened that a country with enormous potential such as ours, could not replicate 1/10th of Kenya's achievement in this field. I hope the agricultural renaissance in Nigeria changes all that.

Canola seeds extract are a good supplement for dairy cows. However, canola farming in Nigeria isnt that popular to make this supplement readily available or affordable.

Maple:
You got the right feeling I can tell you that, cos I have also been motivated by the booming dairy industry in Kenya. I have watch quite a few of the old episodes on youtube, and would be glad to see more...sometimes, I feel saddened that a country with enormous potential such as ours, could not replicate 1/10th of Kenya's achievement in this field. I hope the agricultural renaissance in Nigeria changes all that.

We grew up with the stereotyped thought that fresh milk can only be associated with the nomadic Fulani herdsmen and many of us grew up on powdered milk which Kenyans can not relate to. They are used to getting fresh milk from the dispensing machines or ones packed in pore water sachets sized packs.

Kenya has about 1.8 million small holder diary farmers which a minimum of two cows, you can imagine the millions of litres produced daily not to talk of the big boys like Brookside who are even eyeing to set up a milk plant in Nigeria while Dangote announced plans to set up a factory in Kenya to produce dry milk for local and export markets.

When someone in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Edo, Ondo becomes convinced he can successfully run a diary farm, the change will be felt.

Kenya has about 1.8 million small holder diary farmers which a minimum of two cows, you can imagine the millions of litres produced daily not to talk of the big boys like Brookside who are even eyeing to set up a milk plant in Nigeria while Dangote announced plans to set up a factory in Kenya to produce dry milk for local and export markets.

I was actually baffled when I first learnt of these developments. While Kenya's Brookside has seen the dairy potential in Nigeria and are planning on setting up a plant here, Dangote is planning on setting up his in Kenya. So, I asked myself why, wouldnt it be cheaper in the long run for Dangote to setup a Mega Dairy farm/plant in Nigeria instead? But then again, he is a business man with a unique foresight.

Maple:


I was actually baffled when I first learnt of these developments. While Kenya's Brookside has seen the dairy potential in Nigeria and are planning on setting up a plant here, Dangote is planning on setting up his in Kenya. So, I asked myself why, wouldnt it be cheaper in the long run for Dangote to setup a Mega Dairy farm/plant in Nigeria instead? But then again, he is a business man with a unique foresight.

Dangote is heading to Kenya to produce dry milk while Brookside is eyeing Nigeria for fresh milk, yoghurt etc Like you said he has his unique foresight.

Canola is 3 months crop circle and our warm weather is well suited for it. 4kg-5kg of the seeds produce one litre of Canola oil and the husks of the crushed seeds is then used for Animal feed thus increasing daily milk production. A litre of Canola oil is sold for N800 here.

Maple:
1) Farm hydroponic fodder lab

2) 4 days old sorghum fodder

3) farm feed concentrates + bovine medications

nice one sir. Please in your hydroponic system, i dont see any pvc pipe, is that u water it by hand with the nutrients mixed in water? please can u shed more light? thanks and God bless

Pls I serious want start dairy farm business but I want to learn first

This is my mail bayo116@yahoo.com

I actually want to start learning by January 2016 pls reply me

Pavore9:


Dangote is heading to Kenya to produce dry milk while Brookside is eyeing Nigeria for fresh milk, yoghurt etc Like you said he has his unique foresight.

Canola is 3 months crop circle and our warm weather is well suited for it. 4kg-5kg of the seeds produce one litre of Canola oil and the husks of the crushed seeds is then used for Animal feed thus increasing daily milk production. A litre of Canola oil is sold for N800 here.

It might be more expensive in Nigeria, however I might get some seeds and try it out.

Jesusbaby6:


nice one sir. Please in your hydroponic system, i dont see any pvc pipe, is that u water it by hand with the nutrients mixed in water? please can u shed more light? thanks and God bless

Presently, the watering is done by hand and I do mix it with some nutrients. This is a cheaper alternative if you have the labor, and it is especially good for starters. Going forward, I intend to use watering pipes.

ogas maple and pavore .welldone we will get their one day i knw. Maple why can't u connect with those Kenyans farmers and let their be info exchange.

^^ good suggestion. I'll look into it.

Please help me I want somebody that is running a dairy farm to train me on dairy farming. Am actually planning to start my own dairy farming business next year

Maple:

Growing your herd on a small land whether bought or rented has its own limitations which also do vary from place to place.

I have come to the conclusion that relocating to this new site (as soon as it is completed) is the better option for me in the long run.

May God crown your efforts and grant you clear direction at your cross roads.

To the subject. Bear in mind that everywhere in the world that land is a scarce resource but varies in price. So it is important that we continue to research into how technology can help us maximise the utilization of the smallest space we have seeking more.
Today farmers in Europe are growing plants on their roof without the roof collapsing or leaking.

I guess one of your challenges for prioritizing land acquisition now is to manage your increasing waste. If so did you consider new waste management techniques?
However if your intention is to maximise your production inputs and have an integrated farm where waste at one end is feed at another, then ride on. Otherwise you may need to look at your Lease-Buy options again.

I look forward to your enlightening response.

Prosperity4All:


May God crown your efforts and grant you clear direction at your cross roads.

To the subject. Bear in mind that everywhere in the world that land is a scarce resource but varies in price. So it is important that we continue to research into how technology can help us maximise the utilization of the smallest space we have seeking more.
Today farmers in Europe are growing plants on their roof without the roof collapsing or leaking.

I guess one of your challenges for prioritizing land acquisition now is to manage your increasing waste. If so did you consider new waste management techniques?
However if your intention is to maximise your production inputs and have an integrated farm where waste at one end is feed at another, then ride on. Otherwise you may need to look at your Lease-Buy options again.

I look forward to your enlightening response.

Your points are indeed well-founded Mr Prosperity4All. I also try to utilize the space I have for maximum benefits, and I have researched this trend for as long as I can remember, and there are indeed lots and lots of breakthroughs worth emulating. However, one may come across limitations which could make certain ideas non viable, simply because of different circumstances individuals are faced with. What one can profitably implement on a space at location A, may not be economical for someone at location B. Even as you try to adjust to different approaches, you start weighing the economic viability of your options.

Handling of waste can be problematic for alot of farms in urban locations like mine, but it is not at my present site. However, in as much as I would like to also enjoy the immense benefits of utilizing cow waste as a good energy source for instance, I cant construct a biogas plant on a rented land should I decide to build one, or even sink a borehole for instance. Also, I practice zero-grazing and at times semi-zero grazing which all have their challenges. Feed is the most expensive aspect of cattle biz, and the cost of buying or transporting it alone can be very daunting for many. A couple of years back, I farmed maize to make silage. The cost of transporting it to my farm site was enough to make me have a rethink the following year, and had to come up with cheaper alternatives of getting feed within my location.

At the new farm site, not only would i be able to accommodate large herds of cattles, It is also very convenient for semi-zero grazing due to abundant forage in the area. I also can farm hectares of maize very close to the farm to make enough silage that could last for years, and at a very low cost. I also can conveniently practice integrated farming, sink borehole, construct industrial biogas, build processing plants, have access to cheaper labor, etc

Maple:


Your points are indeed well-founded Mr Prosperity4All. I also try to utilize the space I have for maximum benefits, and I have researched this trend for as long as I can remember, and there are indeed lots and lots of breakthroughs worth emulating. However, one may come across limitations which could make certain ideas non viable, simply because of different circumstances individuals are faced with. What one can profitably implement on a space at location A, may not be economical for someone at location B. Even as you try to adjust to different approaches, you start weighing the economic viability of your options.

Handling of waste can be problematic for alot of farms in urban locations like mine, but it is not at my present site. However, in as much as I would like to also enjoy the immense benefits of utilizing cow waste as a good energy source for instance, I cant construct a biogas plant on a rented land should I decide to build one, or even sink a borehole for instance. Also, I practice zero-grazing and at times semi-zero grazing which all have their challenges. Feed is the most expensive aspect of cattle biz, and the cost of buying or transporting it alone can be very daunting for many. A couple of years back, I farmed maize to make silage. The cost of transporting it to my farm site was enough to make me have a rethink the following year, and had to come up with cheaper alternatives of getting feed within my location.

At the new farm site, not only would i be able to accommodate large herds of cattles, It is also very convenient for semi-zero grazing due to abundant forage in the area. I also can farm hectares of maize very close to the farm to make enough silage that could last for years, and at a very low cost. I also can conveniently practice integrated farming, sink borehole, construct industrial biogas, build processing plants, have access to cheaper labor, etc

Interesting.
Looking forward to the birth of another Africa richest man "Dangote"emanating from Nigeria.
Keep it up we shall meet.

FarmTech:
Learning from these arguements. I like genetic engineering somehow, but on the other hand, there is this possibility that things might go wrong in the future. What happens when local plants are lost and the genetically engineered ones suddenly get prone to new/old diseases? Great disaster may be awaiting us in the future. But the high yield is very tempting oo. Let's not loss the old plant and animals oo.

VERY WELL SAID!

Hi house, My doe/she -goat has bloated stomach, i gave first aid: red oil and used veg. Oil too. Any other things i need to do? I cant reach a vet at the moment.

samshoz:
Hi house, My doe/she -goat has bloated stomach, i gave first aid: red oil and used veg. Oil too. Any other things i need to do? I cant reach a vet at the moment.

put stick across its mouth and let it excersice to salivate more to release the gas.

condi1704:
put stick across its mouth and let it excersice to salivate more to release the gas.

Thanks a bunch. Its down now and she has started feeding but not as much as before, low apetite. Hence, looking weak. But i forcefully gave her anti biotics today. Any advice?

Maple:




@ Onuels sorry for leaving u hanging out there. Posts like yours reminds us all that we do indeed must play our role to keep this wonderful thread going. Btw, welcome to the cattle farming club. And as per your present challenges, you must remain patient and optimistic. The challenges of starting cattle biz are enormous, but the profit margin in the long run is incomparable to any livestock biz. Take the challenges in good faith as they come, they are your learning curves. To cross the hurdle, you need patients and perseverance above anything else, and do not listen to any doubting Thomas.

When I first went into cattle biz, in addition to the enormous startup challenges I was facing, one night all my cattle were stolen. Those were my lowest moments. I almost wanted to quit and kept thinking I was in the wrong biz. But I learned from my mistakes and forged on. Glory be to God, today I have 6 cross-bred dairy cattle. I do still have challenges here and there, but I am coping with them just fine. Only one of the cows is lactating for now, and is averaging 8 Litres per day. What my farm makes from processing such little amount of daily milk into yogurt etc. , has given me absolute assurance that I have indeed chosen the right biz. So, stay on course, I believe you are in the right biz too.

Oga Maple please share your cattle theft experience and how you have overcome it as I hear this is a big issue in cattle rearing.

samshoz:

Thanks a bunch. Its down now and she has started feeding but not as much as before, low apetite. Hence, looking weak. But i forcefully gave her anti biotics today. Any advice?

Has the bloat gone? Feeding will recover gradually. Antibiotics is good.

samshoz:
Hi house, My doe/she -goat has bloated stomach, i gave first aid: red oil and used veg. Oil too. Any other things i need to do? I cant reach a vet at the moment.

hello House, compliments of the season to everyone.I promise to update regularly this year.there is a lot of information to share. goat bloating is not a diseases, it just occurs as a result of the goat feeding either too much concentrate or too much of a grass that is rich in protein causing the too much gas to build in the stomach ,making it looks very big and the goat very uncomfortable .bloating can kill a goat in two days, even if not treated, it can go off,personally I have handled bloating in cattle and not goats, the generally idea is trying to get the gas built up in the stomach out.as soon as the gas is off the goat should return to its normal activities. you should consider the possibilities that your goat ate something harmful

^^^^
Happy New Year Boss and welcome back.

condi1704:
Has the bloat gone? Feeding will recover gradually. Antibiotics is good.

It has gone, I have given antibiotics and multivitamin. later I gave palm oil.

felixzo1:
hello House, compliments of the season to everyone.I promise to update regularly this year.there is a lot of information to share. goat bloating is not a diseases, it just occurs as a result of the goat feeding either too much concentrate or too much of a grass that is rich in protein causing the too much gas to build in the stomach ,making it looks very big and the goat very uncomfortable .bloating can kill a goat in two days, even if not treated, it can go off,personally I have handled bloating in cattle and not goats, the generally idea is trying to get the gas built up in the stomach out.as soon as the gas is off the goat should return to its normal activities. you should consider the possibilities that your goat ate something harmful

@felixo we welcome you back to the house. its been like ages you were last here. pray this year will yield better results than last year

I have stopped blaming government for our woes but will rather see their failures as opportunity to make money.?

This statement is inspiring,i love it and have it at the back of my mind.

felixzo1:
i know sebore farms has the pure boer breed, for cross breeds i have to ask them first, some comercial goat farms in the north too we have, it is a matter of investigating

good job felixzo, please have u foun
d out where to get 50% boer buck? and is it not better to cross them with the Niger or Cameroon breed in a stall fed system, instead of the sw local dwarfs?

Good day,
pls am interested in goat n sheep rearing can u help out

hello oga mapple im into cattle fattening pls.can u advice me on how to get d bokolo or gudali breed at a good price.u can whatsapp me on 08027915498.nd pls i want to know which plant can i use in growing fodder through hydroponics dat readily available in nigeria