COWSOKO.COM
Website Name: Cow soko/Cow market
Domain Name: www.cowsoko.com | www.cowmarket.com
What is Cow soko?
A platform that enables farmers to trade on their livestock.



To upload a cow on the platform, you must have an account that is approved by the
administrator.
To view the cows on sale, non-registered users will have limited privileges i.e. they
will have access to the profile of the cows(small thumbnails that you click to enlarge)
but will not access the contacts of the seller or the price of the cow. (I am looking at
the possibility of people paying like 100bob to get that info via Mpesa
I am looking at integrating the whole platform with Mpesa, so that you pay some fee
to post your cow on the platform, and also the buyer pays some fee to access your
details, just like its done in www.brightermonday.com or www.cheki.co.ke. Advise if
that’s possible
The home page of the site, have a slider showing featured animals. This will be a possible
guy who sell their animals and have paid some premium fee for their animals to be
featured. The same place can be used for adverts of related products i.e feeds.
There will also be a column that contains important things to consider before buring a cow.
The tab should contain one paragraph then reader can click to read more in a different page
(or the same page)
Main function of the site:
1. Buy a cow.
2. Sell a cow.
Search for a cow by:
1. Breed
Dairy cows are divided
into 5 breeds










Fresian
Ayshire
Jersy
Guensey
Dual Purpose
0-30k
30-60k
60-100k
100-150k
Above 150k
3. County
Drop down list




Kiambu
Meru
Nakuru
UasinGishu
4. Age




Calf (<4months)
Heifer (4 months to 18 months)
Cow (after 1st lactation)
2 lactations and above
2. Price
Farmer decides based
on breed, prdcn,
records etc
COWSOKO.COM
5. Daily Production





0-5 liter
5-10 liters
10-15liters
15-20 liters
Above 20 liters
To upload a cow, you will need the following fields;
1. Have an account (administrator have to approve)
2. Picture of the cow (atleast 3)
3. Profile of the cow: fields above.
4. Date of birth (cows)
The account in (1) above should contain:
 Full Names
 Phone number
 Email address
 Most recent photo.
 ID???
To enjoy full function of the site, you must log in!!!
ADDITIONAL CONTENTS/PAGES
1. FAQs.
2. Contact us
3. Blog.
Factors to consider before buying a cow.
1. Records.
Always insist to see a copy of records showing performance of the cow you want to buy.
Important records include:
 Production: If possible look at daily milk supply records to the society/milk processing
company.
 Health and vaccination record:
 Breeding/insemination records
 Feeding records
2. Age of the cow.
Unless you are buying a cow from credible farm with good record keeping systems, always
buy a cow that have given birth once since you can obtain good records of the performance
of the cow and the calf.
3. Breeds.
Different breeds produce different quantities of milk. Generally Fresians are the highest
producers.
What type of a cow should I keep
COWSOKO.COM
Before you buy a cow ask yourself what type of cow u should keep. This will be largly
dependent on the resources you have as the amount of milk you produce will depend more
on how you manage the animal than the breed.
 Feed resources
 Housing
 Medicine
 Drugs
Pure breeds vs. Cross breeds.
The notion that local cows are not dairy cows is wrong. They just produce less milk.
However they should be praised for their resistance to diseases, adaptation to tough
environmental conditions and poor feed resources.
Pure breeds like Fresian, Ayshire, Jersey and Guensey originated from colder climates.
That’s why they consume a lot of forage and water. In return they will give you a high
quantity of milk; 10-50 liters a day. However take note that these animals are more delicate
and will require more care.
To get the best out of these animals, put efforts into providing better environment, control
diseases and feed adequately. Good news is that this is possible even by a “poor” farmer
with limited resources. The resulting benefits to the farmer are what makes dairy farming so
interesting.
What breeds are available?
Fresians lead in milk production followed by ayrshires, Guernseys, sahiwal then jerseys. The
amount of feed required will also follow this order.
When choosing, choose according to:
Preference
Ability to feed / manage
Availabilty/cost
For a farmer new into dairy we advise you start from a cross breed, get some experience
with it and then improve progressively. Cows are expensive and if you have to learn the
best breed form experience through errors, then you will have yourself to blame.
How can you choose a good quality cow
Even within same breed, variations exist on the best breed. This variation is even greater
with cross breeds.
There is no foolproof method that will guarantee you the best animal in terms of milk
production and body conformation. However there are some key points that should act as a
guide while looking for a cow to purchase.
1. Records of ancestors (pedigree)
Opt for animals with good pedigrees served through Artificial insemination. This should be
available from records.
2. General appearance;
True dairy character, shape and frame
i.
Wedged shape; large stomach that enlarges from the chest toward the rear is a sign
she can eat more food which means more milk
COWSOKO.COM
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Wide deep udder with well placed teats and not hanged too low below the hocks
Straight legs with strong hooves
Her backline should be straight
Back looks “square” a sign she will not have problems during calving
More feminine-smooth shiny coat, alert, bright eyes.
Interesting Cattle facts
 Pregnancy period is called gestation period and lasts approx. 9 months (280290days)
 A new born calf weighs between 25 and 45 kg
 Cattle usually live for 15 years though some live for up to 25 years!
 A cow’s udder is divided into 4 parts and can weigh up to 50kg.
 A cow will come on heat after 21 days if it is not pregnant and will last for 10-12hrs.
skitcIt is ready to receive a bull and must be served during this period.
Dairy Cows
 Fresian
 Ayrshire
 Guernsey
 Jersey
 Dual purpose
Farm inputs
 Feeds
 Drugs
 Materials: Silage bags,
 Machinery.
Services
 Consultants
 Vets
 SPEs
 Transporters
 Financial services
 Training institutions
Fill in Item
details
Await
approval
How to Sell on Cow Soko
Login or
Create a
cow soko
account
Select
Items
Category
Upload
Photos
Start
Selling