Journal Article
The dry seasons decline in milk production due to insufficient feed supply to dairy cattle poses a great
challenge to sustainability of smallholder dairy production systems in Tanzania. Locally produced
leguminous fodder tree leaf meals combined with maize bran provide a great potential for overcoming
the dry season protein-energy deficit in the basal roughage feeds. This study evaluated the effects of dry
season Calliandra calothyrsus (Calliandra) leaf-meal: maize-bran based protein-energy homemade
supplementary ration (HSR) on milk production of lactating cross-bred dairy cows in the Western
Usambara Highlands (WUHs), Tanzania. Complete randomized design was employed whereby four
groups of 4 lactating dairy cows were subjected to four levels of HSR rationed at 0, 2, 4 and 6
kg/cow/day. The lactating cows which were not subjected to HSR supplementation (0 kg/cow/day) were
left under farmers’ feeding practices as a control. HSR had significant effect on dry season milk yields (P
< 0.001) whereby milk yields were 2.7, 4.5, 5.6 and 6.1 litres/cow/day for 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day,
respectively. In addition, simulated year-round daily milk yields indicated that 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day
would double the milk yields. Nevertheless, there was overall significant difference in the income to cost
ratios (P = 0.02) whereby it was 0.50, 0.79, 1.06 and 1.09 for 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day, respectively.
However, the income to cost ratios for 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day did not differ significantly (P < 0.05). In
conclusion, if the dairy farmers in WUHs are to produce profitable milk amounts during the dry seasons
the supplementation level of 4 kg HSR/cow/day to the basal diets is recommended.