Livestock

On El Karama we have been breeding Sahiwal cattle for over 60 years. Sahiwal are a dual purpose breed of Zebu cattle, originating from the Sahiwal district of Pakistan.

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Their colour ranges from dark reddish brown through to golden red, with varying amounts of white on the neck and the underline. Males have a large hump and their colour darkens towards the extremities including the head, legs and tail. Tails and ears are long.

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Sahiwal are tolerant of drought and heat, resistant to eye cancer and are also bloat tolerant. They are tick and parasite resistant when compared to non-zebu breeds, and are able to walk long distances. Though Sahiwals can be fierce, at El Karama we have always bred for docile temperament.

Sahiwals are a dual purpose breed. They have more milk than other Zebu breeds and have a well-developed udder.  In dry savannah some of our cows can produce up to eight litres a day, in addition to feeding their calf, without any supplementary feeding. They also have a high kill out weight (50 to 52%) and excellent lean meat quality with even fat cover. Steers typically reach 300kg at around two years of age.

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Sahiwals are good breeders. Generally, they are excellent mothers with ease of calving and can be reproductive for up to 20 years so long as their teeth last. Due to adequate cow size, adequate milk, uniform colour, ease of calving, excellent mothering and long reproductive life, Sahiwals are ideal for cross breeding.

A breeding herd of Fleckvieh breed cattle is being established at El Karama. Fleckvieh cattle are an improved dual purpose breed originally developed in Bavaria, which thrives in South Africa and Namibia, and is rapidly gaining popularity in Kenya. Fleckvieh cattle are known for their hardiness and disease resistance as well as for their ability to produce high quality milk and beef under semi-arid conditions with minimal feeding. At El Karama imported Fleckvieh semen was used on Sahiwals, creating cross bred cows which have produced up to 18 litres of milk a day, in addition to feeding their calf, mainly on extensive grazing. Within a few years the ongoing breeding programme here on El Karama is expected to produce a small pure Fleckvieh herd for milk and beef production, as well as for sale to other breeders.

El Karama is home to a mechanised and hygienic dairy which prioritises animal welfare.

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Our dairy cows are milked once a day using a Tetra Laval herringbone parlour from Europe. We are careful to exclude contaminants and dirt and the milking machine is thoroughly cleaned automatically after each use. The cows sleep in a large, airy shed with individual mattresses and their evening feed of hay, silage and hydroponic barley is produced within the conservancy.  

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El Karama Dairy uses Sahiwal cattle mostly crossed with Fleckvieh as both breeds are known for excellent milk quality with a low somatic count and high cream and protein content. As well as producing high quality milk, we believe that animal welfare is of the utmost importance; all cows keep their calves with them until they are weaned at nine months old. The calves accompany their mothers to the grazing areas during the day and are only separated overnight to allow morning milking.

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Here on El Karama we breed Dorper Sheep. Dorper Sheep are a breed created in South Africa by crossing the Dorset Horn and Blackhead Persian breeds. This cross makes them a hardy breed and thus more suited for the Kenyan climate. Dorpers also tend to be very fertile and have good maternal instincts, alongside high growth rates which make them ideal to farm for meat. We sell our sheep for breeding to the local community, as well as to farmers further afield in Kenya.