Abstract:
The study was carried out in Nangakho Town council Bududa district to investigate the feeding practices, productivity and awareness in small-scale dairy cattle fanners in July 2017. It involved 80 dairy cattle farmers from me 5 wards and random sampling was used. The farmers were interviewed using a well-structured questionnaire. Excel software was used in data analysis. The findings revealed that the major feed resources are pasture grasses (55%) and crop residues (43.75%) supplemented with concentrates, legumes and salts. The main grazing system was zero- grazing being practiced by 93.75 of the farmers. The feeds were given in adlib 92.5% of the farmers did not practice feed preservation. The average milk yield per cow per day was 5-8 litres (5O%) followed by 5 1ittes (42.5%) and >8 litres (7.5%): A few farmers (40%) practiced feed formulation using the locally available resource and purchased ingredients while majority (60%) didn't. The major constraints to fodder production were less land (66:25%) lack of inputs (18.75%) Weather challenges (13.75%) and lack of labor (1.25%). There was a correlation between frequency of feeding(p=0.0210), supplementary (p=0:028) and type of feed(p=O.004) with milk yield. Therefore, farmers feeding practices i.e. quantity, quality and composition of feeds had an influence on milk yield. I therefore recommend further training of farmers on how to feed a dairy cow, feed preservation, supplementation and watering.
