GUERNSEY DAIRY BREEDS IN KENYA
The Guernsey originated on the small Isle of Guernsey, situated in the English Channel just off the coast of France. It was introduced to Kenya in 1930’s and has been developed for milk production.
The breed is mainly found in central highlands and parts of Rift Valley with a fair population domiciled at ADC and Mukumu farms. Guernsey population in Kenya has been reducing over years because of low utilization. The Guernsey breed society is the custodian of the breed standards and promotes uptake of the breed. The breed’s attributes include moderate daily feed requirements, good feed conversion efficiency, early reproductive maturity, good calving ease and temperament.
The breed is known to perform well under various production systems ranging from high input zerograzing to semi zero-grazing system. It is more tolerant to heat stress and diseases than other dairy breeds in the country.
Guernsey cattle are brown in color. They are medium in size with an average body weight of 400kg.
They produce an average of 25 litres of milk per day with a butter content of 4.3%. They require 65-85kg of fresh feed per day. They require a lot of water up to 40 litres of clean water per day.
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