MOST small-scale farmers feed their dairy cows on inadequate and low-quality fodder, resulting in low milk production.
Jane Kugonza, a research technician working with International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), advises farmers to feed cows on Calliandra calothyrus (Kalibwambuzi), a shrub fodder rich in protein. She says farmers can plant the shrub.
Animals fed on calliandra produce thick milk and good fat. Calliandra helps the animals produce a lot of milk and boosts their health, especially if it is mixed with animal feeds.
“The leaves and pods of calliandra are rich in protein. They constitute 40-60% of all ruminant feeds needed,” says Kugonza.
Calliandra, a shrub with red flowers, can also be fed to other animals like sheep, pigs, rabbits and poultry.
Calliandra contributes 25% to animals’ diet, as compared to elephant grass and other grasses which contribute between 8% and 10%.
Farmers who cannot buy animal dairy feeds can mix two kilogrammes of calliandra with other feeds like maize bran (a kilogramme), one part shrub fodder (chopped and mixed with other protein rich materials) to every three parts of napier grass or other grasses. If without a dairy meal, feed each cow on six to 10kg fresh fodder per day. If fodder and dairy meal are mixed, feed 6kg fodder and one kilogramme of dairy meal per cow per day.
In case of drying, this should be done in the shade to avoid losing nutrients. The dried leaves can be stored for a long time.
Before feeding animals on calliandra, cut to one-inch branches so that animals can consume it faster. One mature cow needs about 500 shrubs throughout the year, while a mature goat needs about 150 shrubs.
Calliandra grows well and fast, especially near the lake shores, around the hills but mainly in the areas with coffee trees.
“One can start benefiting from calliandra when it is a year old through to 10 years. Most shrubs are harvested at a height of about one metre, using a sickle or a pair of secateurs or a sharp pangs,” explains Ernest Bbongole, a farmer in Mukono district.
After a year, the shrubs can be harvested every eight to 12 weeks. Cut back to about 15cm (six inches) after six to seven years to promote new growth.
It is advisable to start planting calliandra during the rainy season because the soils are soft then. The planting holes are eight inches wide and 12 inches deep. In dry lands, the holes have to be large enough to store more water.
The topsoil is mixed with the manure and filled back in the hole. Calliandra needs one- metre spacing.
A farmer can put animal dung or decomposed plant manure mixed with new ash around the plant. This helps calliandra to grow well in soils that have been poor and also repels termites.
However, shrub trunks are prone to pest attacks. As a solution, mix omo powder and water, and spray on the attacked part of the trunk, using a pump.
Tiny insects (munyeera) that also attack the trunk bark can be eradicated by destroying their nests. One can also smear wet cow-dung or used car oil on the trunk or spray ash around the stem of the affected trunk to repel them.
For easy seed harvesting, maintain the shrubs at a height of about 2m.
