FACTORS INFLUENCING CALF GROWTH AND DAILY WEIGHT-GAIN ON SMALLHOLDER DAIRY FARMS IN KIAMBU DISTRICT, KENYA

Dairy calf growth was studied on 90 randomly selected smallholder diar y farms in Kiambu District, Kenya between July 1991 and June 1992. The data were stratified by dairy society and farm in a two-stage random sampling protocol. Of the 90 farms, 78 had at least one calf during th e study period. Overall, 201 calves (104 males and 97 females) were ob served on at least one visit. Calf growth was estimated by daily weigh t gain. The overall median daily weight gain was 0.21 kg (ranging from - 0.4 to 0.9 kg). Approximately 14% of the monthly variability of dai ly weight gain was attributed to the farm. The remainder was associate d with the variability between daily weight gains for the same calf fr om month to month. A multivariate regression method, Generalised Estim atring Equations (GEE), was used to determine the association between daily weight gain and potential explanatory factors, since consecutive daily weight gains were correlated. Both farm- and calf-level factors were associated with calf daily weight gain. Lower daily weight gains were associated with increased number of years the owner was in dairy farming, lower amounts of milk fed to calves, male calves and the occ urrence of clinical illness.