A pastoralist feeds paper cartons to his emaciated cattle at Horri Guda in North Horr, Marsabit County during the 2022 drought.
Over the past few weeks, I have received, via WhatsApp, photos of livestock in distress from different parts of the country. The question from breeders has been what could be wrong with their animals.
Many farmers said they fed their animals well, yet they still looked unwell. The claim that animals are well fed but still look poor and produce below expected levels is common, even during my farm visits. The biggest challenge is that many farmers keep animals without a proper grasp of what constitutes adequate feeding and nutrition for different livestock species.
Before I delve deeper into this article, let me share some of the cases I received. Mukhwana from Kakamega shared photos of dairy goats and one sheep all kept in the same pen. He asked whether mixing goats and sheep could be part of the problem.
The sheep had lost hair in patches across the body, especially around the neck. Its face looked dull, and it was extremely thin, with the spine and ribs highly prominent. The skin appeared intact, showing no evidence of scratching.
The goats looked equally poor, with hairless patches and long, thin, curled hair. Their ribs and bones protruded under the skin. The udders were shrunken, and the kids were in similarly poor condition. Black goats had turned brownish-black.
The farmer said he always fed his goats to their fill with maize leftovers or stover and dry grass. They ate to their fill and even left some in the trough. He therefore did not understand what disease they might be suffering from.
I also received five photos of calves on milk, weaned calves, growing heifers and adult cows. The calves on milk and the weaned ones had enlarged abdomens, long curled hair and swollen, forlorn faces.
The growing heifers and older cattle mainly had long curled hair, and black hair had turned brown in some. Naturally brown hair had turned yellowish to orange. All the animals looked tired and moved sluggishly. Owners said adult animals were not coming on heat, while heifers took long to cycle.
Some heifers calved for the first time at 33 to 36 months.
Inadequate feeding
Adult cows had poor milk yields. One farmer said her cow had delivered a very small calf despite being a Friesian. All the farmers claimed they fed their cattle on maize leftovers, grass bought from suppliers or grown on their farms, and some commercial feed, especially dairy meal and maize bran.
However, they never measured feed according to any standard. I diagnosed all the animals from the photos as suffering from long-standing poor nutrition and inadequate feeding.
My diagnosis was based on the fact that the animals were eating and drinking, the condition had developed over time, and the appearance was scientifically consistent with inadequate feed and nutrition. Protein deficiency causes long, thin, curled hair, while combined protein and carbohydrate deficiency causes body wastage and sluggish movement.
The brown and orange coat colour is due to mineral deficiency, especially copper. When several nutrient deficiency signs are observed, it indicates many more nutrients are in short supply, as most nutrients come from feed, while only a few are synthesised in the body using building blocks extracted from feed.
Feeding refers to the provision of feed by the caregiver and its consumption by the animal. Nutrition, on the other hand, is the absorption of essential body-building and life-sustaining nutrients after digestion, and in the required quantities. That is why proper feeding and nutrition require the right amount of feed daily with the correct concentration of nutrients.
I always advise farmers that the animal’s body never lies. If properly fed and nourished, it will look good and perform to the limits of its genetic potential. If not, the body will show the inadequacies through the hair coat and general form. Low energy also slows movement and reduces confidence.
Incidentally, what we see in animals is also seen in humans. When I walk in Nairobi, I cannot help noticing the number of underfed and undernourished people; yet our public health services do not appear to recognise this as a population problem. It is rarely discussed or targeted for action. We have an epidemic of underfeeding and under-nutrition in both animals and humans.
One Unicef report I came across recorded 26 per cent in children nationwide. This indicates that our agriculture sector and economy are underperforming, even before examining survey and official data.
Well-balanced diets
Farmers must understand that animal appearance and productivity depend on genetic make-up, nutrition and environment. Animals, like humans, require carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water in the right quantities.
It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss specific daily feed and nutrient requirements for each livestock species. Farmers should consult their animal health and production service providers for proper education on feeding and nutrition.
Generally, cattle, sheep and goats should be fed well-balanced diets equivalent to three to four per cent of their live weight, depending on environment, stage of production and health status. The weight should be calculated on a dry-matter basis, meaning with minimal water content.
Most livestock in Kenya are fed far below their daily dry-matter requirements and with inadequate nutritional balance. In my next article, I will explain how animals may still lose nutrients even when seemingly fed adequately.
