Murang’a County County farmer Boniface Mwangi has been recording gradual increase of milk from one litre to two litres over time to three litres a day 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,” said Mwangi.
He buys 10 jericans of 20 litres of yeast in two weeks from kenya Breweries Limited’s Murang’a branch at Sh200 each. This is enough to last for about a month and a half.
According to Richard Webster Nutrition Limited (RWN), a UK online agriculture repository, yeasts boost feed conversion by between 10 per cent and 15 per cent resulting to one litre to two litres milk increase.
With consistency, the milk conversion can hit three litres, the site adds. Yeast raised the stomach PH by reducing acidity, therefore, making digestion efficient.
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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.
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.
Mwangi can be contacted on +254704622279.