Beigh Yasir Afzal, Ganai Abdul Majeed, Rather Mohammad Ashraf, Athar Hakim, Hamdani Shabeer Ahmad
Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 190006, India.
Mountain Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Izmarg, Gurez, Bandipora, India.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2020 Sep;52(5):2469-2480. doi: 10.1007/s11250-020-02273-y. Epub 2020 Apr 29.
Assessment of the ruminant livestock feed sources availability, existing feeding practices, and nutrient balances was embarked at different zones of Gurez valley of Kashmir in two major seasons (summer and winter). A baseline survey was conducted to obtain the information in three zones, viz., Lower, Middle and Upper Gurez. The study was carried out in three villages in each zone where seven farmer families per village were selected randomly for the study. A total of 63 households owning livestock were interviewed to collect the information and the samples of available animal feeds and fodders fed during the seasons for chemical analysis. Daily nutrient intakes were calculated and compared with the standard requirements to determine the nutrient balances of livestock during the seasons. The main crops cultivated only during summer season were pulses (98.41%), maize (95.24%), and potatoes (90.48%), while few farmers in Lower and Middle Gurez also sow oats (42.86%) and had apple orchards (17.46%), the by-products and wastes of which were utilized as livestock feeds. The only fodder crop cultivated throughout Gurez was maize. During winter, due to very harsh climatic conditions, no agricultural activities are being carried out, as such greenery perishes from the scenario. Feed resources availability to the livestock varied according to the season. Animals relied mainly on natural grazing resources available overabundant during summer and remained undernourished due to very limited feed resources during winter when completely stall-fed. Most of the farmers offered tree foliage (92%) and practiced concentrate feed (86%) supplementation to their animals particularly during winter season (96%). Farmers (87%) were preparing concentrate feed at home by blending ingredients available with them. Only 6% of the farmers supplemented the diet of animals with mineral mixture. Nutrient intakes through different feed resources were in excess during summer, while non-availability of green fodder during winter leads to considerable nutritional deficit in quantity, as well as quality. It is concluded that lack of technical know-how among the animal rearers regarding livestock feeding strategies and winter season feed/fodder scarcity are the major constraints that limit livestock productivity. It is therefore suggested that there is a dire need for nutritional innovations to increase fodder production as well as adoption of fodder conservation and feeding strategies for ensuring year-round availability of animal feeds if sustainable livestock production is to be met in the high Himalaya Gurez valley of Kashmir.
在克什米尔古雷兹山谷的不同区域，于两个主要季节（夏季和冬季）开展了对反刍家畜饲料来源可获得性、现有饲养方式及营养平衡的评估。进行了一项基线调查，以获取下古雷兹、中古雷兹和上古雷兹三个区域的信息。研究在每个区域的三个村庄进行，每个村庄随机选取七个农户家庭参与研究。总共对63个拥有家畜的家庭进行了访谈，以收集信息，并采集了各季节所喂的可用动物饲料和草料样本进行化学分析。计算了每日营养摄入量，并与标准需求量进行比较，以确定各季节家畜的营养平衡。仅在夏季种植的主要作物有豆类（98.41%）、玉米（95.24%）和土豆（90.48%），而下古雷兹和中古雷兹的少数农户也种植燕麦（42.86%）并拥有苹果园（17.46%），其副产品和废弃物被用作家畜饲料。古雷兹全境唯一种植的饲料作物是玉米。冬季，由于气候条件极为恶劣，无法开展任何农业活动，因此绿色植被消失。家畜的饲料资源可获得性因季节而异。动物主要依赖夏季丰富的天然放牧资源，而在冬季完全圈养时，由于饲料资源非常有限，它们会营养不良。大多数农户给家畜提供树叶（92%），并对家畜进行精饲料补充（86%），尤其是在冬季（96%）。农户（87%）通过混合手头现有的成分在家中制备精饲料。只有6%的农户用矿物质混合物补充家畜饮食。夏季通过不同饲料资源摄入的营养过量，而冬季缺乏青绿饲料导致在数量和质量上都出现相当大的营养亏缺。得出的结论是，家畜饲养者缺乏关于家畜饲养策略的技术知识以及冬季饲料/草料短缺是限制家畜生产力的主要制约因素。因此建议，如果要在克什米尔高喜马拉雅古雷兹山谷实现可持续的家畜生产，迫切需要进行营养创新以增加草料产量，并采用草料保存和饲养策略以确保全年都有动物饲料供应。
