Farmers giving livestock feeds laced with yeast stand to increase milk out-put by up to three litres due to improved conversion rate.
Nyeri County farmer and yeast distributor Boniface Mwangi said he has seen gradual increase of milk from one litre to two litres over time after consistently mixing yeast with commercial feeds.
“Yeast expels oxygen from the digestive system of the cattle, making anaerobic bacteria to increase in number. Bacteria that live in the digestive system without oxygen support breaking down of food, therefore, no nutrient waste,” Mwangi said.
Mwangi’s argument is supported by the UK’s online agriculture repository, Richard Webster Nutrition Limited (RWN), which says that live yeasts boot feed conversion by between 10 per cent and 15 per cent resulting to one litre to two litres milk increase.
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With consistency, the milk conversion can hit three litres, the site adds. Yeast raised the stomach PH by reducing acidity, therefore, making digestion efficient.
Although he has not subjected the milk to content analysis, he said the quality has improved as he could tell from the taste.
RWN adds that the total feed dry matter intake goes up by about two kilos, translating to more milk, healthy and fertile cows.
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Because of the increased intake of dry matter, cows take in more water.
Mwangi said two kilogrammes of feeds are mixed with half a litre of the yeast.
“I may not have concrete support for my claim, but I believe that, yeast being a b- product of alcohol, the liquor elements relax the cow. When a cow in relaxed, more prolactin is released to excite the mammary glands to produce more milk,” he said.
Prolactin is one of the main hormones that enhance production of milk.
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Mwangi buys the yeast from authorised brewers in Nairobi before repackaging it into 20litres jerricans for sale at Sh400 each.
PHOTO: A dairy caretaker walks past Friesians the unidentified farm brought to the Nakuru Agricultural Society of Kenya Show on July8,2016. Dairy cattle feed on yeast can increase milk output by three litres. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.
Mwangi can be contacted on +254704622279.