Assessment of Dairy Cattle Management and Milk Production in Selected Farms in Kaduna State

This study assesses dairy cattle management practices and milk production performance in selected commercial and smallholder farms in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Kaduna State hosts some of Nigeria's most developed commercial dairy operations alongside extensive smallholder Fulani dairy activities, making it an important site for assessing dairy management diversity and productivity. Improving domestic milk production is a national agricultural priority, but baseline data on current farm-level management and production are needed to guide development investment. This study uses a descriptive survey design, collecting data from 25 commercial dairy farms and 60 Fulani smallholder operations in Zaria, Lere, and Kagarko local government areas. Management variables assessed include breed composition, feeding systems, milking frequency, milk yield, milk quality indicators, animal health management, and economics. Descriptive statistics are applied. Findings reveal that commercial farms using Holstein Friesian and Friesian-Bunaji crossbreds achieve average daily milk yields of 9.4 litres per cow, while smallholder Fulani operations produce only 2.8 litres per cow daily from Bunaji cows partly due to suckling constraints. Seasonal feed availability causes 35 to 42 percent reductions in smallholder milk production during the dry season. Mastitis is the dominant disease constraint, reducing milk production by an estimated 18 percent in affected herds. The study concludes that a dual-track approach addressing both commercial dairy intensification and smallholder productivity improvement is needed for Kaduna State dairy development. It recommends crossbreeding programmes for smallholder operations and mastitis control extension.

Keywords: dairy cattle, milk production, Kaduna State, Holstein Friesian, mastitis.