Effect of Potato Vines and Sorghum Silage on Cattle Milk Productivity

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive value and productivity of Sweet Potato Vines (SPV) and Sorghum Silage (SS) as feeds for dairy production in the dry highlands of Kenya during the years 2002 and 2003. Data on yield parameters of SPV and SS were collected. Both On-centre and on-farm work involved evaluation of milk production by dairy cattle fed on varying proportions of SPV with SS while demonstration and popularisation of SPV and SS utilization technologies were conducted on farms. Mean grain and dry matter (DM) yields of sorghum were 5.5 and 23 t ha-1, respectively. The Dry Matter (DM), Crude Protein (CP), Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) contents of SS were 308, 60.3, 622 and 61.6 g kg-1, respectively. Corresponding values of SPV were 160, 131, 341 and 64.5 g kg-1. Average daily milk yield was 3.44 l day-1 when SS alone was fed dairy cows and the yield was 26 l day-1 when a combination of SPV, SS and home made dairy meal was supplied. Improved and sustained milk production in most of the farms was observed when sorghum ratoon was fed as green chop alongside SS especially during the dry season. This showed that sorghum fed together with SPV had great potential in enhancing milk production.