There
are
many
different
approaches
of
how
to
raise
and
handle
your
heifers,
some
of
which
will
be
explained
below.
The
decision,
which
is
the
most
suitable
solution
for
your
circumstances will remain for you to take.
For
those
looking
to
buy
a
dairy
animal
it
is
also
important
to
understand
that
there
are
huge
differences
in
management
and a heifer is not just a heifer...
1
.
Many
farmers
who
only
have
one
or
two
dairy
cows
(with
very
limited
space
and
feeds
available)
and
the
need
of
very
constant
cash
flow
often
opt
to
sell
all
their
calves
right
after
birth.
Their
main
objective
is
to
sell
all
the
milk
their
cows
produce
to
provide
for
their
own
families.
After
every
couple
of
years
maybe
one
heifer
will
be
retained
and
raised
to
replace
one
of
the
cows.
But
more
often
these
farmers
are
forced
to
buy
a
new
dairy
cow
after
one
of
their
adult
cows
died
suddenly
or
got
unproductive.
Many
times
not
much,
if
any,
thought
is
put
into
what
kind
of
sire
is
used
on
their
cows,
only
important
thing
is
that
she
gets
pregnant
as
soon
as
possible.
You
can
get
a
small
heifer
calf
or
young
heifer
at
very
reasonable
prices
from
such
a
farmer.
But
don’t
expect
wonders
concerning their quality. There are exceptions of course...
2
.
Large
scale
farmers
or
ranchers
who
are
lucky
enough
to
have
plenty
of
space
and
grazing
and
therefore
have
no
real
restrictions
on
the
number
of
animals
they
keep
often
turn
into
commercial
heifer
producers.
The
simplest
and
most
economic
version
of
this
approach
is
to
run
a
good
quality
European
dairy
breed
bull
with
your
beef
herd
(Boran).
The
calves
will
exclusively
be
raised
by
their
dams
&
later
fed
through
extensive
grazing
at
very
low
cost
and
then
sold
once
in-calf.
Such
heifers
can
be
obtained
at
prices
around
KShs
100,000/-.
But
beware,
if
that
heifer’s
dam
was
a
pure-bred
Boran
production
potential
will
be
real
limited
although
the
heifer
might
look
great
and
be
very healthy and easy to keep.
3
.
The
latest
version
to
approach
No.
2
is
to
use
Boran
cows
as
surrogate
dams
to
implant
high
quality
embryos
produced
by
high-grade
/
pedigree
European
breed
dairy
cows.
Raising
of
such
heifers
is
done
very
economical
as
described
above.
They
can
then
either
be
sold
directly
after
weaning
or
when
in-calf
themselves.
If
you
have
the
right
facilities
and
the
needed
degree
of
management
expertise
this
is
the
cheapest
way
to
produce
large
numbers
of
high
quality
heifers.
Although
the
production
cost
of
such
a
heifer
is
much
lower
purchasing
one
will
cost
you
about
the
same
amount
as
in
point
6
(or
even
more
as
they
are
ET
or
IV
bred...).
Only
advantage
is
that
you
will
possibly
get
a
heifer
from
better
genetic
parentage
then
when
natural
breeding
was
used.
This
technology
is
still
quite
new
to
Kenya
and
hopefully
once
more
widely
used
will
reduce
prices
of
quality
heifers
to
affordable
levels.
For
more
information about this ET/IVF technology approach please contact
Indicus LTD
4
.
Large
commercial
dairy
farms
whose
main
objective
is
to
sell
milk
often
also
produce
a
surplus
number
of
heifers.
Selling
these
is
a
welcome
and
often
essential
bonus
to
their
economic
survival.
Most
of
the
breeding
is
done
by
natural
service
and
bringing
up
their
heifers
is
often
done
as
low
cost
as
possible.
Once
those
heifers
that
are
found
promising
enough
to
be
chosen
as
replacements
for
their
own
dairy
herd
are
selected,
the
rest
are
sold
as
in-calf
heifers.
If
you
are
able
enough
yourself
or
have
a
good
and
knowledgeable
friend
to
help
you
select,
this
most
likely
is
where
you
will
get
the
best
value
for
your
money!
At
the
coast this would be Kilifi Plantations and ADC Kiswani Complex in Malindi.
5
.
Abroad
(Europe,
USA,
New
Zealand
and
partly
South
Africa)
the
country’s
dairy
cow
population
is
often
so
uniform
in
quality
and
breeding,
that
most
dairy
farmers
sell
their
calves
to
commercial
heifer
rearers
right
after
birth.
Later
they
buy
their
own
or
other
farmer’s
heifers
back
when
heavy
in-calf,
to
be
used
as
replacements
for
their
high
turn-over
dairy
herds.
This
has
the
great
advantage
that
you
only
feed
and
maintain
the
milking
herd
and
don’t
have
to
bother
with
large
numbers
of
young-stock
and
followers.
Quality-wise
all
the
cows
are
almost
the
same
and
therefore
freely
exchangeable.
Now
more
and
more
Kenyans
are
opting
to
import
heifers
from
abroad.
Often
the
purchase
price
is
negligible
compared
to
the
transportation
&
bureaucratic
expenses
involved.
Nonetheless
the
total
landed
cost
might
still
be
less
than
No.
6.
The
greatest
concern
of
this
approach
is
that
these
imported
heifers
are
of
100%
Bos
Taurus
descent
and
totally
naive
to
all
the
hundreds
of
diseases,
parasites
and
environmental
challenges
they
will
surely
have to face once having arrived here in Kenya.
6
.
And
then
there
are
the
true
breeders...
For
us
heifers
are
much
more
than
just
our
future
milking
cows.
They
are
genetically
the
best
animals
on
the
farm
and
no
effort
&
expense
is
spared
to
raise
them.
This
starts
with
each
heifer’s
conception:
For
each
individual
cow
the
most
perfect
match
out
of
hundreds
of
potential
sires
will
be
chosen
to
produce
a
calf
of
maximum
genetic
potential,
optimum
balance
and
perfect
pedigree.
Once
born
their
feeding,
vaccination
programs
(might
have
started
with
the
heifer’s
dam
already!),
growth
rates
and
everything
else
will
be
monitored
and
matched
as
close
as
possible
to
optimum
levels.
Once
she
has
achieved
serving
size
and
age
the
most
expensive
and
best
semen
obtainable,
often
even
gender
selected,
will
be
used
on
her,
as
she,
being
a
heifer,
will
have
the
greatest
chance
of
conceiving
compared
to
all
the
rest
of
your
breeding
herd.
Now
the
waiting
game
begins...
Will
she
be
able
to
live
up
to
the
promise
given
by
her
genetics
and
breeding?
Will
your
choice
of
sire
be
as
good
as
you
thought
it
to
be?
Will
she
have
an
easy
and
uncomplicated
calving
and
let
you
have
her
milk
voluntarily?
(This
being
a
question
in
high
percent
Bos
Indicus
breeding
only).
You
will
only
be
able
to
see
the
outcome
of
many
of
your
choices
&
breeding
decisions
after
your
heifer
has
calved,
whether
your
overall
strategy
is
working
or
still
needs
major
adjustments.
Every
heifer
you
choose
to
sell
will
deny
you
this
most
important
insight.
There
are
a
good
number
of
such
breeders
in
Kenya.
Heifers
raised
with
so
much
love,
attention,
effort
and
expenses
will
sell
at
anything
from
KShs
250,000/-
to
over
KShs
500,000/-
each,
depending
on
their
breed
and
pedigree.
If
you
are
just
starting
your
dairy
farming
career
don’t
even
think
about
beginning
your
learning
years
with
animals
of
such
high
breeding
and
quality.
You
will
most
likely
not
be
able
to
provide
the
care
&
management they require. Nothing but heartache & disappointment will be the result.
Conclusion
We
breed
with
higher
priced
semen
than
any
other
farmer
in
Kenya
and
have
to
cope
with
feeds
of
extremely
poor
quality,
which,
on
top
of
this,
are
more
expensive
than
in
most
other
locations.
Our
cows
have
to
face
diseases
some
Up-Country
farmers
haven’t
even
heard
about
and
have
to
withstand
environmental
conditions
most
of
their
Up-country
relatives
wouldn’t
survive
at
all.
Think
it
through
to
the
logic
conclusion
and
our
heifers
would
have
to
cost
even
more
than
what
was
stated
in
point
6.
In
my
personal
opinion
these
present
prices
already
are
completely
unconscionable
(as
they
are
only
affordable
by
the
richest),
although
unavoidable
if
you
really
care
for
your herd and therefore by all means fully justified.
For us the only solution to resolve this conflict is the decision not to sell any heifers at all.
2017:
The year that almost broke us.
As
narrated
elsewhere
we
almost
didn’t
make
it
through.
So
many
of
decades
old
resolves
and resolutions had to give way, one of them about sales of heifers...
For
a
very
first
time
we
selected
a
good
number
of
choice
heifers,
from
weaning
age
to
heavy
in-calf
and
put
them
up
for
sale.
It’s
almost
breaking
my
heart
to
see
them
go.
But
it’s them or us. So for a very unique opportunity please visit our
makitosha.blogspot.com
