The effect of different cattle housing systems on milk yield and health among smallholder dairy farmers of Kawowo sub- county, Kapchorwa district.
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Date
2025
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Busitema University
Abstract
Dairy farming contributes to global food security, household incomes and rural development. It provides not only milk and dairy products for human nutrition but also income, employment and farm yard manure for growing of crops (Grout et al., 2020). However, the productivity of dairy cattle varies depending on multiple factors, including genetics, nutrition, healthcare and management practices. Among these, cattle housing plays a fundamental role in ensuring animal welfare, disease prevention, and overall milk production. The productivity and health of dairy cows however are heavily influenced by the type and quality of housing provided. Proper housing reduces exposure to harsh weather, minimizes disease risks and promotes animal comfort which in turn enhances milk yield (Astiz et al., 2014). In developed countries like India, United State of America and Denmark, advanced housing systems such as free-stall barns, tie-stall barns, and compost-bedded pack barns are widely adopted and have been associated with improved cow welfare and higher milk production (Weary et al., 2015).
In sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder dairy farming dominates the sector, accounting for most of the milk production. However, productivity remains low due to various reasons, among which poor cattle housing is a major contributor. Evaluating the effect of different cattle housing systems on milk yield and health among smallholder dairy farmers in a given area can inform relevant stakeholders to design targeted intervention to improve animal production.
This study was to evaluate the effect of different cattle housing systems on milk yield and health among smallholder dairy farmers in Kawowo Sub county, Kapchorwa district in Uganda. The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design to collect quantitative data among 108 randomly selected farmers in the sub county. Pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used during data collection. The collected was entered in Microsoft excel 2013, cleaned, and imported to Stata version 16 for analysis. The analysis employed primary descriptive statistics and results were presented on suitable frequency tables and bar graphs.
The study shows that there was significant difference in the milk yield produced by cows under different types of shelters (p<0.001). The post hoc analysis indicates that there was a significant difference in milk yield between semi-permanent and temporary shelters where semi-permanent housing yielding 0.72 liters more on average (p=0.001). Moreover, cows under semi-permanent x shelter also results in significantly higher milk yield by 0.65 liters more than having no shelter (p=0.003) and permanent shelter yields significantly 1 more liters of milk than temporary housing. Similarly, cow under permanent shelters produces significantly higher milk yield (by 0.93 liters) than no shelter. The difference in milk production between cow under temporary or no shelter was not significant (p=0.921). However, there was no influence of shelter types on animal health (p>0.05). The prevalent constrains to providing animal shelters among farmers were lack of funds, lack of technical support, limited land space, and cultural barriers. This study provide valuable insight into understanding how housing can enhance animal production. Addressing the identified constrains can help improve animals production.
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Undergraduate research report
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Citation
Kanziran, C. (2025). The effect of different cattle housing systems on milk yield and health among smallholder dairy farmers of Kawowo sub- county, Kapchorwa district. [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema University.