Fodders and feeding practices of cattle and sheep in Kashmir (India)

Abstract

leaves and aquatic vegetations used as fodder in Kashmir valley situated in the middle greater North Western Himalayas was undertaken. A total population of 2243 cattle and 5373 sheep randomly selected from 200 households in ten villages of Kashmir valley constituted the sample population for the investigation. Five interesting features of traditional and popular feeding practices in rural Kashmir were: migration o f livestock on grazing pastures in summer and autumn months, their confinement to basement animal sheds in severe winter, fodder scarcity during the winter months and feeding paddy hay supplemented with aquatic vegetation/tree leaves to livestock with occasional incorporation of concentrates by progressive farmers to meet nutritional requirements have been unique feature of animal husbandry practices. Proximate analysis indicated higher nutritive value of aquatic vegetations, (devoid of antimetabolites/antinutritional factors) than fodder tree leaves. A solution for fodder scarcity, and die stunted growth and/or lowered productivity of ruminants, was found by timely harvesting and conservation of aquatic vegetations, treatment o f fodder tree leaves for antimetabolites, besides enrichment/supplementation with non-protein nitrogen (NPN), and with minerals/vitamins of horticultural and agro waste products and their exploitation for livestock feeding on scientific lines.