Browsing by Author "Osolo, Nyende Kefa."

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Botanical composition and selective feeding by goats in the semi-arid Lands of central-eastern Kenya
(2013) Osolo, Nyende Kefa.; Shibairo, Solomon I.; Wakhungu, Jacob W.
Botanical composition of University of Nairobi’s Machang’a Field Station, Mbeere, in the Semi-arid Central-Eastern rangelands of Kenya was inventoried by reconnaissance survey. Relative abundance of the various plant species and ground cover were then established for three seasons: long rains, short rains and dry season. Small East African goats were allowed to graze freely on the range and their selective grazing behavior used to identify the relative preference of plant species. Over one hundred and eighty (180) plant species were identified and recorded. The herbaceous ground cover varied with season and was highest during the long rains study (40.8%) followed by short rains (19.2%) and lowest for dry season (12.6%). Goats showed strong preference for species which were relatively scarce (r<-0.86). Promotion and conservation of the preferred plants was recommended.
Environmental hazards in Peri-Urban poultry farming in western kenya
(2015) Osolo, Nyende Kefa.; Wanambacha, Wakhungu Jacob.; Obiri, John
Poultry keeping is popular in peri-urban centres of Kenya. Poultry wastes arising from intensive poultry units may become too large to be absorbed in the immediate areas of production as crop plots and gardens decrease in size in urban centres leading to potential for environmental hazards. This study was conducted in four urban centres of Bungoma, Eldoret, Kakamega and Kisumu to evaluate the contribution of poultry wastes to environmental hazards. Manure samples were collected from 40 randomly selected intensive poultry farms and taken to the Kenya Bureau of Standards laboratory for microbial and heavy metal content analysis. There was no significant variation in E.coli levels between the four municipalities (p-value > 0.353) as well as between the poultry manure types (p-value > 0.823). There was a statistically significant interaction between manure condition and municipalities and the Salmonella levels, F (2, 33) = 6.266, p < 0.005. There was lack of evidence to dispute the claim that the means concentration (mg kg-1 ) of mercury [F (3, 33) = 1.035, p < 0.390] as well as copper [F (3, 35) = 0.084, p > 0.968] in poultry manures was similar across the four municipalities. This means that the heavy metal contents in the manure in the study area was below levels that could be considered hazardous in the manure if handled as waste. Strict hygiene and bio-security was recommended. It was recommended that Bio-security and hygiene should be included in the poultry extension programmes and training curricula.