livestock rearing

AGRICULTURE IN NAROK.

Maasai community are know for rearing livestock since ages. They keep cows, goats and sheep.

They are pastoralist moving from one place to the other looking for green pastures and water for their animals.

Some maasai do crop farming, especially those from highlands sides of Narok district. Few maasai grow wheat, Maize and Groceries. Despite Narok District being known for growing wheat in large scalls, the maasai community have not venture into this activity. They do livestock farming instead.

Livestock farming in maasai land.

The maasai keep cows, goats and sheep. They are all indegenous type. Goats and sheep are not keep in large numbers. Maasai believe that the all cows in kenya belongs to them. They were the one who first domesticate them.

Zebu cows are commonly reared in maasai land. It takes about 4-6 yrs raising a cow before getting into the market. These cows eats savanna grass and drinks fresh water from the river.

Common livestock diseases.

1. Nagana disease- Nagana tripomisiasis ” ndoropo’‘

Its is transmitetd by tsetsefly.

Symptoms

• The cow becomes dull, Rough skill, Loose water dug, watery eyes, lose of appetite.
  Treatment
• Use of Veiben, novidium and deeping the cows with ectomine or sypertix.

1. East coast fever. ” Ormilo”

Its trasmitted by Ticks. Tick suck blood from wildanimals and trasfer the disease to the cows.

Symptoms

• The cow looses direction of movement, cow stand still for along time and no movements, lose of eyesight, moowing unnecessarily.
  • Treatments
• use of oxytetracline 20% or 30%, pervetion, deeping cows with ectomine or sypertix.

1. Foot & mount desease.

Its a viral desease and spread very faster especially when their is overcrowding.

Symptoms.

• The Cow limbs, Roating of the hooves, dropping of saliva and lost of appetite.
  • Treatment
• oxytetracline to minimize the pain, vacination using bovine and Quarantine.

1. Blout.

Its a common during rainny season. This is caused by wet specific type of green grass

Symptoms

• Cows belly swells.

Treatment.

• Preventing cows from eating such type of grasses, Pinning on the rumen, Traditional treatment- mixing salts & ashes then give to the cow, giving poison from the arrow to kill the poison.

Benefits for keeping livestock.

1. Sell for exchange for cash.
2. Source of food- meat, milk & blood
3. Skin and Hide for making traditional ormanents.
4. Dowary- many cows many wives.
5. Preastige- To be fame.