Animal Production

Agripreneurship · Level 6  ·  5 Chapters

Compiled by: Beatrice Atieno

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What Animal Production covers

In this unit, you will be able to confidently identify and care for a variety of animals, from ruminants to non-ruminants and emerging livestock, using the animal production manual as your guide. You will master selecting and breeding stock with precision, apply safe and effective feeding, parasite control, and disease management practices, and perform essential routine tasks that keep animals healthy and productive. By the end, you’ll have the skills to support thriving animal production operations with care and professionalism.

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Careers after Animal Production

Starting a career in animal production opens doors to many vibrant parts of Kenya’s agricultural landscape. Whether you join a growing family farm, manage livestock for a larger commercial operation, or launch your own agripreneur venture, the skills you master here will let you raise healthy animals, improve productivity, and create real income for yourself and your community.

  • Smallholder dairy farms in Kiambu and Murang’a - you identify and select the best dairy cows for breeding, apply artificial insemination or natural breeding safely, manage feeding rations, control parasites and diseases, and keep detailed records that boost milk yields and your farm’s profitability.
  • Beef ranches in the Rift Valley highlands - you recognize superior beef cattle, choose breeding bulls, implement controlled breeding programs, oversee pasture-based feeding, and apply parasite- and disease-control protocols that keep the herd thriving and market-ready.
  • Goat and sheep enterprises in semi-arid counties such as Turkana and Samburu - you spot the healthiest breeding stock, practice heat-tolerant breeding methods, manage supplemental feeding during dry spells, and conduct regular deworming and vaccination to maintain flock health and secure premium meat or milk sales.
  • Intensive poultry farms on the outskirts of Nairobi - you identify layers and broilers, select high-performing breeding stock, apply controlled mating or hatchery techniques, manage balanced feed formulations, and implement strict biosecurity, parasite, and disease control to achieve high egg production or fast-growing meat birds.
  • Rabbit or quail hatcheries in Central Kenya - you accurately identify emerging livestock species, choose breeding pairs, carry out precise breeding schedules, provide specialized feed, and apply targeted parasite-control measures, allowing you to sell premium meat and breeding stock to urban markets.
  • Camel herding cooperatives in Garissa and Isiolo - you recognize healthy camels, select breeding males and females for drought-resilient traits, apply safe breeding practices, manage desert-adapted feeding regimes, and conduct parasite and disease control that supports milk and meat enterprises in arid zones.
  • Ostrich farms around Naivasha - you identify ostrich chicks and adults, select breeding individuals for size and temperament, implement controlled breeding, provide high-energy feed, and manage parasite and disease protocols that enable you to sell meat, leather and eggs at premium prices.
  • Livestock feed-mill operations in Eldoret - you use your knowledge of animal nutrition to formulate rations for ruminants and non-ruminants, ensure feed safety, and advise farmers on feeding plans that improve growth rates and reduce mortality, earning income as a feed specialist or consultant.
  • County agricultural extension services in Kisumu - you travel to farms, conduct animal identification workshops, demonstrate breeding and health-management techniques, and help smallholders adopt best practices, earning a salary while directly uplifting rural livelihoods.
  • Agripreneur start-ups offering livestock health consulting in major towns - you provide on-site disease diagnosis, parasite-control plans, and breeding advice to a range of clients - from backyard poultry keepers to medium-scale dairy farms - charging fees for each service and building a reputation as a trusted animal-production expert.

Mastering these abilities means you can work wherever Kenya raises animals, turn knowledge into profit, and become a key player in feeding the nation and driving rural development. Keep learning, stay curious, and let your passion for livestock shape a thriving future!

Chapters

What Animal Production covers: 33 main topics in 5 chapters

1. Produce ruminant animals

  1. 1.1 Introduction to ruminant animals
  2. 1.2 Ruminant animal breeding stock selection methods
  3. 1.3 Breeding methods and systems
  4. 1.4 Animals feeding practices
  5. 1.5 Animals’ routine management practices
  6. 1.6 Classification and identification of Animal parasites
  7. 1.7 Identify disease and parasite Control methods

2. Produce non- ruminant animals

  1. 2.1 Introduction to non-ruminant animals
  2. 2.2 Non -Ruminant animal breeding stock selection
  3. 2.3 Breeding methods
  4. 2.4 Animals feeding
  5. 2.5 Animals’ routine management practices
  6. 2.6 Animal parasites control methods
  7. 2.7 Animal disease control methods

3. Produce emerging- livestock

  1. 3.1 Introduction to emerging- livestock
  2. 3.2 Importance of emerging livestock
  3. 3.3 Breeding methods
  4. 3.4 Animal feeding practices
  5. 3.5 Animal routine management practices
  6. 3.6 Animal parasite control methods
  7. 3.7 Animal disease control method

4. Conduct fish farming

  1. 4.1 Fish species identification
  2. 4.2 Fish farm site selection
  3. 4.3 Construction of fish pond
  4. 4.4 Fish and fish pond maintenance and management practice
  5. 4.5 Control of fish pond waste and predators
  6. 4.6 Causes of fish disease
  7. 4.7 Fish pond stocking

5. Conduct bee keeping

  1. 5.1 Apiary site identification
  2. 5.2 Types and Construction of bee hives
  3. 5.3 Bee hives installation
  4. 5.4 Bee hive stocking procedure
  5. 5.5 Bee products harvesting

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Beyond the syllabus

Other units in Module VI