What is Livestock Registration?

Livestock registration  is a systematic method of recording and maintaining accurate and authentic ancestral and identification information of animals with due regard to dates of birth and extended pedigree details.

It is done by the Kenya Livestock Breeders Organization through Kenya Stud Book whose headquarters are in Nakuru. Kindly take part in our farm visit, click here for more details

Why Register Animals?

• – At the farm level, the performance records guide the farmers on monitoring the performance of the animals.
• They form the base in making management decisions e.g.  Selection of animals with outstanding production performance.
• Value addition- registered and recorded stock fetch better price compared to unregistered ones. (E.g. Registered dairy cow fetches Ksh80, 000-200,000/= while unregistered one fetches Ksh20, 000-40,000/=).
• Consistency in breeding of animals with outstanding performances guarantees ownership of pedigree without necessarily spending a fortune.
• Farmers with registered outstanding animals stand a chance of benefiting from contract mating, e.g., bull calves from outstanding dairy cows are entered for contract mating with C.A.I.S. (Central Artificial Insemination Services).
• Eases in sourcing information on marketing of livestock through the stored records in K.S.B.
• Access external markets of live animals for better prices (no unregistered animals can be sold outside the country).

Nationally

• Important for the national livestock breeding program such as the Dairy Goats upgrading programme.
• Important record for pedigree animals in the country.
• Important as resource materials for research by Research Institutions, Universities and for national planning purposes.
• Efficient registration leads to informed advice on increased production and hence improvement in national food security.

Which Animals are Registered?

• Cattle (Dairy and beef).
• Goats (Dairy and Meat).
• Sheep (Wool and hair).
• Pigs (being revived).
• Rabbits (initial stage).
• Camel (initial stage).