By Umar Nsubuga
Harriet Nanteza, a resident of Kyanja a Kampala suburb has four exotic cows on a zero-grazing, but she wonders why they produce a lot of dung.
She asks herself whether this is normal, and how much manure a cow normally produces.
Muhammad Kiyemba, a veterinary doctor says for cows to produce the milk that you want, they must eat. And if they eat, they have to produce dung.
“With four dairy cows, you should be prepared for several wheelbarrows of waste every day. For instance, a Friesan cow weighing 400 kg may produce about 32kg of dung and urine combined,” he says.
However, he adds that a farmer should not view cow dung simply as a menace. It is a raw material for producing biogas and farm yard manure.
“This will save the money you would otherwise spend on fuel, cooking and industrial fertilisers. You could even sell the manure and make money.
Flower nurseries and crop farms will buy it,” he says.
Cow manure has nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are the main components of commercial fertilisers.
