Year: 2025
Grant: £5,000
Wyckliff Ngetich
Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya
More than 80% of the milk consumed in Kenya is from small holder dairy farmers which has led to confining of many animals within small spaces. The farmers have limited knowledge on welfare requirements of dairy animals and therefore do not provide the necessary conditions. This study seeks to address this gap through assessing the welfare of dairy herds as well as the knowledge, attitudes and practices among small holder dairy farmers related to animal welfare in Njoro Sub-County.
A robust animal welfare assessment tool will be developed and administered to smallholder dairy herds to assess their welfare status. Lactating cows will be subjected to hygiene scoring procedure and tested for subclinical mastitis which have direct impact on their welfare. A structured questionnaire will also be administered to farmers to capture information on their demographics, knowledge, attitude and practices on animal welfare. The survey will explore prevailing practices, barriers to adopting welfare-friendly approaches, and opportunities for intervention. The generated information will guide targeted awareness campaigns and training programs (emphasizing low-cost, high-impact welfare practices) to improve farmers’ capacity to implement better welfare practices.
Workshops, farmer training sessions, and practical demonstrations will be conducted for the participating farmers to educate them on animal welfare. An animal welfare guidelines manual will be co-developed with the farmers, local veterinary professionals, and agricultural extension officers.