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REARING OF SMALL RUMINANTS(SHEEP AND GOATS)AT ALPINE PASTURES

OF THE NORTHERN AREAS OFKHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (PAKISTAN)

BYDr Zainullah

Dr Atiqullah Khan*Dr Muhammad Nadeem.

Dr Muhammad Idrees Khan

*Corresponding Author’s E-Mail: dratiqullahkhan@gmail.com

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REARING OF SMALL RUMINANTS (SHEEP AND GOAT) ATALPINE PASTURES OF THE NORTHERN AREAS OF KHYBER

PAKHTUNKHWA (PAKISTAN)

BYDr Muhammad Idrees Khan, Dr Atiqullah Khan*, Dr Zainullah and Dr Muhammad Nadeem.

Abstract

Sheep and goat production in Pakistan is mainly a small-scale rural activity that forms an integral

part of an age-old system of mixed farming. It is important in the life of poor and landless farmers

of the country as it contribute to rural economy and even also in areas where it is difficult to raise

buffaloes or cows. Increase in The population of sheep and goats in Pakistan are higher than other

livestock species indicating their economic importance and adaptation in the different agro-

ecological zones of the country. The main production systems of sheep and goat rearing are

Migratory farming (e.g Nomadic, Agro-pastoral, Transhumant and Sedentary) and Settled

farming. Migration is done towards the Northern areas of KPK (Pakistan) e.g Kaghan, Narran,

Beser and Jal kand etc because of wide area under Alpine Pastures. These Alpine pastures

provide wide grazing areas and have rich source of green feed for the grazing animals especially

for the small ruminants like sheep and goats but the farmers that keep sheep and goats also raise

some equines (donkeys, mules and horses) and bovines (cows) for the fulfillment of the

transportation and milk requirements of their families and those animals also graze on pastures

grasses. Farmers adapt “Migratory Mix-Farming System” and either regularly migrate or

seasonally migrate their flocks in search of grazing areas and pasture lands. The pasture lands

situated at altitudes of “Northern Areas” of KPK (Pakistan) provides summer grazing in the hot

days of the year from “June to September” for the animals of migratory farmers of the country

that migrate their flocks inside the country to those pasture areas for grazing in summer and also

for the animals of regularly migratory nomadic farmers (Powendha) that migrate their flocks

from country to country throughout the year and come to Pakistan from out of the boundary e.g

Afghanistan, and adopt “Mix-Grazing System”. Grazing areas on that hight have plenty of

“Natural Growing Pasture Grasses” and fulfill the nutritional requirements of the grazing

animals but there are some Managemental , Technical problems and Natural hazards which are

either “Personal Related” or “Livestock Related” are faced by those farmers at “Alpine

Pastures”.

*Corresponding Author’s E-Mail: dratiqullahkhan@gmail.com

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Key Words: Alpine Pastures, Farming System, Grazing Method, Rent of Grazing, Problems faced.

A. Introduction:The importance of small ruminants (Sheep and Goats) in the economy of the poor farmers isevidenced by their economic traits. There are twenty eight breeds of sheep and twenty five breedsof goats in Pakistan. They thrive and contribute to the economy of the poor farmers at rural areasand in areas where it is difficult to raise buffaloes or cows. Particularly the goats due to their abilityto get acclimatized under diversified agro climatic conditions, high fertility and short generationinterval make them popular among farming community. Economically they are ideally suited forpoorer rural folk especially for marginal and landless labourers by their low cost maintenance,short-term return on capital with low risk capital investment. Mostly no involvement of hiredlabour, as such the entire rural family members, especially women folk and children are broughtinto the gamut of activity; thereby the health status is bound to improve with availability of cheapand quality protein through mutton and goat meat and milk.

Goats are energetic, inquisitive and versatile in the art of searching feed. They have a greatertendency than sheep to easily change their diet, with changing seasons. Goats spend over half oftheir total grazing time eating leaves and shoots of trees and bushes. The small size, large surfacearea relative to their body weight and limited subcutaneous fat cover, adapt them poorly to coldclimates, but make them relatively better adapted to areas of high temperature. Goats have theability to conserve water, travel well, and graze selectively and to take willingly a wide variety ofvegetation. Areas with sparse vegetation, bushes and shrubs cannot support buffalo or cattle butsuit the browsing taste of goats even more than sheep. Mountainous areas with steep slopescannot be used safely by cattle or sheep, but goats can have easy access there.

Sheep by nature are gregarious animals and unlike goats they are generally uniparous. Sheep playan important role in the animal production and rural economy in arid and semi-arid regions andlargely in marginal and sub-marginal holdings. Role of sheep rearing in improving the ruraleconomy is well established. In the event of failure of seasonal rains, the rearing of sheep gives ahelping hand to the farmers at the time of crisis arising from crop failure. Sheep farming by smalland marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers will provide employment opportunitiesfor most of the unemployed or under-employed in the rural areas. Sheep raising can berecommended as a subsidiary occupation. When mixed farming is practised, sheep form aneffective complementary component in improving the economy of the farm. Sheep can thrive wellin all agro-climatic conditions except in rainfall areas. Sheep can subsist on low set and sparsevegetation because of their inherent capacity to graze very close to the roots of herbage. Sheepmanure excels cattle manure and penning of sheep in harvested fields enhances the fertility of thesoil by the richness of nutrients in their droppings. Sheep rearing under the extensive system doesnot warrant any large investment in buildings and equipments. Sheep have carved a niche in theagricultural economy of the country by effective utilization of the uncultivable wastelands andunwanted shrubs and weeds from the fields.

Sheep and Goats farming in Pakistan are done only for the purpose of Cash/Income and theproducts from which the Money is collected by the farmers. Farmers sell animals or theirWool/Hairs. They sell adult animals/young ones which are either culled or of no need in the flockto the butchers or the peoples involved in hotel and restaurant business for meat purpose andWool/Hairs to the textile mills of the country.In fact, what has been said concerning sheep or goats is equally applicable to both of these speciesexcept some points specific to either of the species.

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B. Sheep and Goat Population and their contribution in theEconomy of Pakistan:

Sheep and goats, being small-sized ruminants, are capable of integrating themselves intodissimilar socio-economic situations prevailing in countries like ours. Of the total sheeppopulation, 42.4, 9.6, 19.4, 26.8 and 1.8% sheep are found in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, KPKand Balochistan and Northern Areas and FATA, respectively. The corresponding figures for goatsare 39.5, 21.7, 13.5, 22.4 and 2.8%, respectively. In terms of type of holding, the distribution ofsheep and goats shows that more than 29% producers are landless farmers, 20.0% have less than 2hectares and nearly 23% possess 2 to 5 hectares of land. This shows that more than 70% sheep andgoat producers are either landless farmers or those whose land holdings are very small.The picture arising from the distribution of sheep by size of flock is not very encouraging sinceover 80% flocks consist of 15 or less number of sheep. Over 90% goat flocks too fall in the samecategory.

a) Sheep:In Pakistan 28 breeds of sheep are present which belong to 2 main classes, Fat tailed andThin tailed sheep. According to 2009-2010 economic survey of Pakistan the totalpopulation of the sheep in Pakistan was 27.8 million and ranked at 9th position on thebasis of sheep population in the Globe.Sheep produce 2 crops to their owner in the form of Lambs and Wool. As the sheep arenot the good milk producers, and their milk can only met the milk requirement of theirlambs but in many areas of the World including Pakistan ewes are still kept for dairypurpose by poor farmers, so that their sheep production is based on the three of its majorproducts Meat, Milk and Wool, Although Meat production is gaining relative importancebecause Hotel and Restaurant business in Pakistan has gained popularity especially in thepeoples of Northern Areas of the Country.In the world Australia is still the world major sheep keeping country and fine woolproduction is the base of it economy, although meat production is gradually increasing inimportance.

b) Goat:Goat has also a very important role in the economy of Agricultural country like Pakistan.There are 25 breeds of goat present in Pakistan. Goat is also known as a “Mankind FosterMother” as Known in Swiss “Swiss Baby’s Foster Mother” because of the composition ofthe goat milk is very close to the human milk. The milk of the goat is easily digestible dueto the small size of fat globule, and it is an alternative for the peoples who suffer fromallergy when they consume Cow or Buffalo milk. Goats are also raised by Poor andlandless farmers and known as “Poor Man Cow”. According to 2009-2010 economicsurvey of Pakistan the total population of Goats was 60 million and ranked at 3rd

position in the World. 44 % of the total Goats breeds give single young kid birth, 46 %give twins and 10 % give triplet kids. 50 % of Teddy Breed of goat produce twins kids, 15 %produce Triplet kids and 35 % produce single kid, that why Teddy breed is raised for meatproduction in the country.

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c) Contribution in the Economy of Pakistan:

Sheep and goats contribute in a large measure to the economy of Pakistan. This fact issubstantiated simply by the sheep and goat population in Pakistan, the numerical figure beingover 75 million (Economic Survey, 2002). The goat population is almost 100% higher than that ofsheep. Together they account for over 0.66 million tons of meat which is 33.3 % of the total meatproduced in the country. Over 39 million skins are produced annually which fetch more than Rs.2000 million in foreign exchange through their export besides providing raw material for theexpanding leather industry. Annual production of 39.5 thousand tons of wool results inproduction and export of hand knotted carpets worth about Rs. 15 to 16 billion. The carpetindustry provides jobs for over two hundred thousand of artisans. This is in addition to thousandsof those who earn their livelihood through employment in tanneries, leather goods factories, meatshops etc.More than Rs. 120 million in foreign exchange are earned annually by exporting about 8000 tonsof raw wool. Besides, goats produce nearly 9.5 thousand tons hair per annum. These are used inrough woolen cloth, numnahs, ropes and tents. The latter are used for shelter by nomads. Sheepand goats also produce about 450000 tons of milk per year which is almost 2.3% of the total milkproduced in Pakistan. They are the major source of livelihood for over a million livestock farmers.This is especially true for arid regions where crop production and dairy farming are not possible.Also, they are an important component of a mixed farming system of irrigated agriculturepracticed by about four million farmers. However, in spite of their evident importance toPakistan, sheep and goats, till recently, have received scant attention and poor support. Thus theprimitive character of sheep and goat raising in Pakistan is still a common feature.

According to 2009-2010 Economic Survey, Sheep and Goat share 33.3 % in the total meat and 2.3% in the total milk and 1-1.5 % in the total wool production in the Pakistan. 40,000 million tonwool/year is produced from which 15-16 billion foreign exchange/year is cashed. 47.3 millionton skin is produced annually with 2000 million RPS foreign exchange per year. Despiteindiscriminate slaughter of small ruminants, their total population and their productionperformance can be estimated from their economic contribution to the country.

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C. Environmental Adaptation of Sheep and Goats:Worldwide distribution of goats reflects their ability to adapt to a variety of environments.However, the preferred environment is on the lighter sandy soils in the drier tropics, rather thanin the wet humid tropics. They perform best and thrive in large numbers in the dry tropics. Thereare, however, reports about 5 to 8 times more goats than sheep in all the eastern states of Indiawhere the rainfall is high and plenty of grazing material is available.

The inherent characteristics of goats such as resistance to dehydration, preference for browse andwide-ranging feeding habits, enable them to thrive in regions that receive less than 750 mm ofrainfall. In Pakistan, approximately 60% of all goats are found in low rainfall areas. However,there are goat breeds that thrive in humid tropics such as dwarf goats and dairy goats intemperate zones. They must be specially adapted to such environments.

Paradoxically, sheep as individuals and breeds are more sensitive to environmental changes thanother domestic animals but as a species they thrive everywhere. Proliferation of sheep hasprovided breeds or types adapted to almost every climate, from snow-covered hills to semi-desert,but sheep are essentially grazers and prefer to graze short plants. As a result they thrive best onrangelands and pastures with low-growing plant populations that usually occur in the drier, butnot the driest areas. As is the case with goats, sheep adapted to the humid environments, appearto be smaller in size on average than those adapted to the drier climatic regions.

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D. Migratory Mix-Farming System at Alpine Pastures of KPK(Pakistan):

Due to adaptation of variety of environment by sheep and goats, there are variety productionsystems of sheep and goat rearing are adapted e.g Migratory farming (e.g Nomadic, Agro-pastoral, Transhumant and Sedentary) and Settled farming, but the main production system“Migratory Mix-Farming System” of these two species with other species of live stock e.gequines (donkeys, mules and horses) and bovines (cows) is widely adapted by the farmers thateither regularly migrate or seasonally migrate their flocks in search of grazing areas andpasture lands. The pasture lands situated at altitudes of “Northern Areas” of Pakistan e.gKaghan, Narran, Beser, Jal Kand and Batta Kundi etc provide summer grazing in the hotdays of the year from “June to September” for the animals of migratory farmers of the countrythat migrate their flocks inside the country to those pasture areas for grazing in summer and alsofor the animals of regularly migratory nomadic farmers (Powendha) that migrate their flocksfrom country to country throughout the year and come to Pakistan from out of the boundary e.gAfghanistan.

a) Species and Breeds of Livestock that are commonly raised at AlpinePastures of KPK (Pakistan):Species that are commonly raised at Alpine Pastures under “Migratory Mix-FarmingSystem” includes Sheep, Goats, Equines (donkeys, mules and horses) and Bovines (Achaibreed of cows).The breeds of Sheep and Goats that are commonly raised includes imported American sheepbreed Rambouillet and genetically improved local sheep breed Ramghani e.g Kaghani bycrossing them with that foreign breed of sheep, Bulkhi and Kaghani breeds of sheep,Kaghani ,Beetal and Angora breeds of goat.

b) Sheep Breeds: Rambouillet:

The Rambouillet is the French version of the Merino, developed from Spanish Merinos.They have very large and strong bodies, with very little wrinkling in the modernRambouillet, except a little across the brisket. The fleece is less oily than that of theMerino, thus has less shrinkage. They are hardy with a remarkable herding instinct. Theygraze during the day and at night they gather closely as if to sleep. They are good foropen range and can adapt to a wide range of climate and feed conditions. The ewes canbe bred early to lamb in November/December. The lambs give good yield in bonelesstrimmed meat cuts. They are a dual-purpose sheep, with a desirable carcass and goodwool production. The rams have horns and both sexes have white feet and open faces.Rambouillet is the wool producing breed that produces 3-5 Kgs wool/Annum with finefibers having diameter of 19-20 micron and an adult can gain weight of 60-80 Kgs.

Balkhi:This is fat tailed breed raised mainly for Mutton Peshawar, Kohat, D.I.Khan & Bannudistricts and adjoining Northern areas of KPK. It is Black, grey, tan or a mixture of thesecolours, Large in size about 55-70 kg Body weight 1.5 kg wool production per annum withfiber diameter (45 μ). It has Comparatively large head, Roman nose, conical muzzle,medium ears, males often have large curved horns; quarters well developed; fat tail well-developed and set high on the rump; males very popular as sacrificial animals.

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Kaghani :This breed is raised for Wool/mutton production in Abbottabad, Mansehra , parts ofMardan and Peshwar districts. It is complete white or head & ears red, tan, grey or blackSmall to medium breed with 22-28 kg Body weight and 1.5 kg wool (fibre diameter 31μ)production.This breed named after Kaghan valley; Kaghani sheep winter in plains, moving east as faras Jhelum district in Punjab, but in spring they go back up to the alpine ranges of Kaghanvalley; head small; nose slightly convex; ears medium with pointed tip; neck short, bellytucked up; legs often covered with wool, males horned; wool dense and curly. SeveralKaghani sheep have some degree of Rambouillet blood, resulting in better quality wool.Kaghani is the low fleece producing local breed of sheep with the production of 1-1.5 Kgswool/Annum and the fibers are also course with the diameter of 26-28 microns and theweight gain is also low e.g 30-40 Kgs/Adult one.

Ramghani:This breed is the cross breed developed at of the Kaghani Breed with the Ramboilletbreed. This new synthetic sheep breed was developed and maintained to the present inthe Northern Areas of KPK by crossing the local sheep breed Kaghani with that importedAmerican breed Rambouillet and was named Ramghani with characteristics of both thebreeds and in between the two parent breeds. That produces 2-4 Kgs wool/Annum ofsemi fine fibers with diameter of 23-25 micron and an adult can gain weight of 50-70Kgs.

c) Goat Breeds: Kaghani:

This is Meat producing breed raised at Kaghan valley, including Abbottabad, Mansehra,Swat, and Muzaffarabad district of Azad Kashmir. It has Black body coat, but white, greyor brown animals also seen, body is Medium sized having about 35-42 2 kg weight, Body iscovered with dense & long hair; comprises large head, medium ears, thick horns extendingupwards & backwards; twin births common.

Angora:It has its origin from Turkey. It is a mohair producing breed. Their export from thecountry of its origin was not allowed till mid 1880s. Now Angoras are available in largenumbers in South Africa, USA, UK, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. The Angora issmaller than most exotic dairy breeds averaging 45-50 kg and 60-65 kg in females andmales respectively. Their most striking characteristic is their long coat of fine lustrousmohair, which grows at the rate of 2.5 cm a month. They are usually white and normallythese would be selected against coloured goats. However, brown and black Angoras doexist. Males have large horns sometimes reaching a spread of over one meter. In generalshape, Angoras look more like sheep.

GaddiThis breed is raised for Meat in Kaghan valley Generally black in color, but white and greyanimals also seen. It is Large in size with 42-50 Kg body weight and produces 1.4 kg hairsper annum. It is Hairy animals with massive head comprises long ears and horns.Produces 125 litres milk in150 days of lactation and give mostly single births.

Beetal:This breed is a Milch producing breed and raised almost all districts of central Punjab,extending to Multan and also raised by the farmers of the Northern Area of KPK. It isGolden-brown or red spotted with white or black patches. It is Large breed about 37-46 kgBody Weight with Smooth-coated, generally not Clipped, Massive head, Roman nose,

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long, broad & pendulous ears, spiralled horns, longer in males; long stout legs; short tail;udder well developed & long teats, milk yield 190 litres during 150 days lactation; morethan 50 % twin or triplet births; Beetal males raised especially for sacrifice on Eid-ul-Azha,body weight being 70-80 kg.

d) Favorable factors to sheep and goat production at Alpine Pasturesof KPK (Pakistan):

The following natural advantages are in favor of sheep and/or goat production:i. They are able to convert weeds, bushes, grass and other plants on rangeland and

pastureland to useful products, including meat, milk, fiber, leather and pharmaceuticals.They are excellent scavengers for gleaning fields.

ii. Compared to buffaloes or cattle, they produce more liberally in proportion to what theyconsume.

iii. Their returns come quickly. Their young ones, if properly fed, may be marketed whenabout a year old.

iv. They are unexcelled in the utilization of the more arid types of grazing.v. The wool clip from sheep and hair/mohair from goats are easily stored and shipped.

vi. Their energy requirements (except dairy goats) are lower than those for other livestockenterprises. Also, the energy requirements for fiber production by sheep are lower thanthose for synthetic fibers.

vii. Sheep and goats are highly adaptable and non competitive with humans for feed.viii. Their low purchase price is conducive to their farming.

ix. Goats reproduce at an early age and have more young than buffaloes or cows.x. They reduce risks of losses to owners by being cheaper to replace.

xi. Subsistence farmers keeping goats or sheep need very small amounts of purchased animal feedbecause their stock can manage on very poor quality roughage if required.

xii. With a 20% death rate a farmer with five sheep or goats will still have four animals, whereas afarmer with one buffalo or cow is likely to be left with nothing.

xiii. Marginal farmers may or may not own buffaloes or cows but invariably they possess sheep orgoats or both.

xiv. Sheep and goats are a source of employment for landless farmers who may be hired toshepherd sheep/goat flocks for extensive grazing and then return them to the owners atevening.

E. Feed stuff for the Sheep and Goats.The characteristics of various feeds available to sheep and goats, in many parts of Pakistan, in terms ofnutritional quality are:

a) Natural Bushes and Trees: They may be green throughout the year, or may lose their leavesduring some part of the year. In chemical terms they tend to show high protein levels and gooddigestibility, however, in reality much of the actual protein digestibility is reduced due to thepresence of anti-nutritional factors such as polyphenolic compounds, tannins in leaves. In aridand semi-arid areas at the end of dry season, thereis often a flush of growth on trees ashumidity rises before the onset of rains. Goats can take good advantage of this flush of greenleaves, gaining weight and thus they may then be able to start breeding earlier than sheep. Inaddition, seedpods of native trees can be a valuable dry season feed for goats. Pods may beeaten off the ground or shaken down by herders for their flocks. Pods (of Acacia species) canbe stored for later supplementary feeding.

b) Natural Grasses: Natural grasses can be highly digestible when in young stage of growthduring the wet season, but tend to become stemmy and indigestible quickly during the dry

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season. Sheep do regularly grazing on grasses but Goats will eat grasses when there is noalternative. These will, however, provide essential feed during the difficult dry season.

c) Crop Weeds and Thinnings: Weeds collected from cropland during crop’s growing period orgrazed just after harvest, can be a valuable source of highly digestible feeds for Sheep andGoats. Leaves picked from growing maize or sorghum can be fed to both species. Crops such ascassava and banana can supply a high quality feed for goats.

d) Crop Residues: These include the stover of maize (corn), sorghum and millet and the strawsof rice, wheat, barley, oats, legumes and oil crops. Generally, they have a high fibre content,which makes them relatively indigestible to goats. Crop residues can be treated to make themmore digestible. The sweet-potato vine is a highly digestible feed.

e) Planted Legumes and Planted Grasses: Legumes are planted to improve the quality of feedavailable to goats. They are normally rich in protein and highly digestible, but like naturaltrees, may have high level of anti-nutritional factors such as tannins, which reduce theirdigestibility. Grasses are normally planted to improve both the quality and quantity of thegoat’s feed. If they are regularly cut or grazed, they can supply relatively high quality feed,which with some supplementation can be used as a basic diet.

f) Crops and Crop By-products: Crops such as maize (corn), barley, oats and sweet potatoesmay be fed directly to sheep and goats in intensive systems of production. Crop byproductsinclude rice or wheat bran, peanut cake, sunflower cake, linseed cake and sugarcane tops.These feeds can provide useful low cost feed supplementation to sheep and goats.

F. Fodder Trees and Shrubs for Sheep and Goats:Fodder trees and shrubs contribute significantly to feed of small ruminants. Even in the irrigated areaof Pakistan, vast marginal lands, canal bank, and communal grazing strips are used for grazing of smallruminants. During periods of fodder scarcity, trees are lopped for feeding to sheep and goatsSome important fodder producing trees and shrubs are discussed below.

I. Phulai (Acacia modesta): This is extremely useful forage species since it is very palatable andnutritious. This is a medium sized leguminous plant found on most of the range areas of thecountry. New growths take place in March, and the pods ripe in autumn.

II. Kikar (Acacia nilotica): This is a common mostly evergreen tree, but for a short period it dropsleaves. Flowering occurs during rainy season (June to September); pods ripen from April toJune. The leaves and pods are used as fodder for sheep and goats. The yield of pods and leavesreaches 8-10t/ha.

III. Khor (Acacia Senegal): This is medium size thorny tree, It is widely distributed throughout thearid and semiarid regions of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan. It grows well in area of lowrainfall. Its foliage is highly palatable and very rich in protein and fed to sheep and goatsduring periods of fodder scarcity.

IV. Siris (Albizia lebbek:) This is a large leguminous tree. It grows on different types of soil and cantolerate salt. The tree sheds leaves in summer, but pods persist for longer time. The foliage ishighly palatable and very rich in protein.

V. Ipil-ipil (Lucaena leucocephala): This plant is found widely in Pakistan and can grow into a talltree, but bush type varieties are also found. Growth is best in humid areas or where plenty ofirrigation is available, but it has ability to grow on different types of soils and climatic

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conditions. The leaves and pods are highly nutritious. During periods of fodder shortage, theleaves and shoots are lopped and fed to sheep and goats.

VI. Mulberry (Morus alba): This plant is commonly know as 'Tut'. Tut is a medium sizeddeciduous plant. Large plantations of this tree are raised in irrigated areas. It grows in plainsand low mountainous regions. The leaves are fed to sheep and goats.

VII. Kau (Olea ferruginea): This is medium sized ever green tree grown in the foothills ofHimalayas, the Pothwar scrub ranges, and several parts of Balochistan. It is fairly droughtresistant. The leaves are fed to livestock.

VIII. Jand (Prosopis cineraria): Jand is a leguminous plant with small thorns. It is widely distributedthroughout Thal, Cholistan, Tharparkar, Kohistan, Pothwar, and parts of Balochistan. Theplant can grow in low rainfall areas. It is a drought and salt tolerant tree. The pods and leavesare eaten by sheep and goats.

IX. Wan (Salvadora oleoides): The small sized evergreen tree with drooping branches. The flowersare yellowish to greenish white. Its fruit ripens in June. It is found in Thal, D.G. Khan,Cholistan, Tharparkar and Salt Range, It grows on different types of soils and is droughtresistant. The foliage is eaten by sheep and goats.

X. Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana): This is a shrub like tree and ranges in size from small to fairly large.The branches are drooping and bear spines as well as sweet fruit. The tree is hardy and needslittle water. Deep sandy loam or alkaline soils are suitable. The leaves are fed to sheep andgoats and fruits are eaten by humans. The tree grows throughout ranges of Pothwar, Thal, andCholistan. It is browsed by sheep and goats.

XI. Frash (Tamarix aphylla): This is medium fast growing tree found in Indus plains of Sindh andPunjab. It is drought resistant and can grow in salty soils. The leaves are eaten by sheep andgoats.

XII. Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora): This plant can grow on different types of soils and foundthroughout Pakistan. It has become a weed in irrigated tracts. Although the leaves and podshave low feeding value, they are consumed by livestock during feed shortages.

a) Grasses and Shrubs for Sheep and Goats at Alpine Pastures of KPK(Pakistan):The local names of grasses, weeds and shrubs of the alpine pastures, are Sinji, Masloon, Sacher,Nanoor, Ganula, Puck-Chavu and Moori etc. In these some are consumed in early days ofgrazing by animals because of their palatability and nutritious state e.g Sinji, Masloon, Sacherand some are consumed in late days of grazing e.g Nanoor, Ganula, Puck-Chavu, but notcommonly and some of them are not consumed due to their bitter taste and toxicity e.g Moori.

b) Grazing System and Rent of grazing at Alpine Pastures of KPK(Pakistan):

i. Grazing System:At Alpine Pastures animals are regularly grazed round the day from morning to evening and atnight they are stocked under the coniferous trees or under the open sky. This method is knownas “Mix-Grazing System” in this type of grazing system different species of livestock are

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grazed on pasture at a same time, “Mix-Grazing System” is more economical as compare tothe other system of grazing as in this system pasture utilization is good and provide effectivereturn to the farmer because of the different grazing behavior of the different species oflivestock as equines and bovines graze to the base of grasses while sheep graze on leaves of thegrasses and goat feed (browse) on tips of the leaves, shoots of trees and bushes. The Pasturegrasses and shrubs provide plenty of nutrients to the grazing animals and the weight gain isalso high in the months of grazing at alpine pastures, and there is no need of supplementfeeding.

ii. Rent of grazing:Some of the pasture lands (Pasturages) are the property of local Men of the northern areas ofKPK and they charge rent of grazing in their property every year from the migratory farmers.Farmers pay rent in the form of cash or animals. The amount of cash rent ranges from 10,000-40,000 RPS per season (June to September) and those that pay in the form of animals give2000 RPS and one Ram or Buck per season to the owner of the pasture every year.

c) Factors may influence the digestibility of a certain feed:The following are the factors:

I. Stage of Growth and Part of Plant: The stage of growth of a forage species can affect itsdigestibility; similarly, the part of the plant whether it is the growing point or older morelignified material, affects the quality of the feed.

II. Species of Animal: Goats are thought to be more efficient at digesting fibrous feeds thansheep, particularly at low levels of crude protein.

III. Physical Characteristics of Feed: If the feed is chopped or ground, it may pass through therumen so quickly that its digestibility is actually reduced.

IV. Level of Feeding: An increase in the quantity of feed can cause an increase in the rate ofpassage through the rumen and digestive tract, so the feed is exposed to digestive enzymes fora short period, reducing digestibility.

G. Problem Faced by Farmers at Alpine Pastures of KPK (Pakistan:

Problems that are commonly faced by the migratory farmers during their migration to the northernareas and stay at the Alpine Pastures are categorized in two main groups “Personal RelatedProblems” and “Livestock Related Problems”.

1. Personal Related Problems:Personal related problems include Health problems, Transportation problems, Housingproblems and Nutrition problems.a) Health Problems:Health related problems are faced because of the long distance from the hospitals, highaltitudes, difficult and long rout, harsh and inclement weather of the area and Low Oxygen atthe area. Also the migratory farmers are mostly poor and illiterate, that why they don’t adaptthe prophylactic medication strategies and also don’t care about the cleanliness. Health relatedproblems include Fever, Coughing, Sneezing, Traumatic injuries due to fall ofstones or slipping and dyspnea due to low Oxygen tension at high altitude.

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b) Transportation Problems:Some farmers rear equines e.g Horses, Donkeys and Mules with their Sheep and Goat flock,which are used for the transportation of luggage and members of their families but most of themigratory farmers are poor they also don’t have any source of transportation and that why theyface transportation problems from one area to another during migration, because the prices offuel (Petrol, Diesel and CNG) is increasing day by day and the transporters get high fare oftransportation from one area to another.c) Housing Problems:Migratory farmers adopt nomadic life in a tent; some of them have their own shed and sheltersin different areas or hire houses at rent in different locality of their migration route. At AlpinePastures there is no such facility of Sheds, Shelters and Houses. Farmers spend life in a tentand face Housing Problem due to inclement harsh weather of the pastures area at highaltitudes or when there is raining, tents can’t protect them from the impact of the weather.

d) Nutrition Problems:Due to poverty, Long distance from the market, Inadequate income resources, Harsh climate,High market prices of the food items and less storage facility migratory farmers faceNutritional deficiency and they eat different food items but Malnutrition and Under-nutritionis common.

2. Livestock Related problems:Migratory farmers due to poverty and lack of basic knowledge of Livestock Farming andLivestock management, face lot of problems related to their Livestock Health and Nutrition.Most of them don’t vaccinate and deworm their animals due to which the annual death rate ishigh and the weight gain is low. Problem Related to Livestock includes Transportationproblems, Nutrition problems and Health problems.

a) Transportation Problems:Transportation is done commonly through feet and some farmers have resources for thetransportation of their livestock but due to poverty and high expenses on fare mainlytransportation is done by feet.

b) Nutritional Problems:Most of the migratory farmers don’t give supplements to their animals due to lack ofinformation about nutrition of livestock or Feeding problems or poverty and they commonlyraise their flocks by year round grazing. At alpine pastures in the months of June toSeptember there are plenty of grasses and shrubs that meet the nutritional requirements ofthe livestock and there is no need of supplementation. Weight gain in these months is high ascompare to other months of the year.

Common feeding problems of small ruminants.

A wide range of feeding problems is commonly encountered, including:I. Fibrous feeds causing low intakes, resulting in low levels of overall production.

II. Seasonal fluctuations in quantity, digestibility, protein and water availability.III. Low levels of protein for growth, milk and wool (in sheep) production.IV. Specific mineral deficiencies such as lack of sodium in feeds having high moisture

content in a specific area.V. Poor presentation of feeds to stall fed goats.

VI. Poor access to water.

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VII. Poor nutrition of lactating dams, leading to low milk yields and poor rates of growthand survival among lambs and kids.

VIII. Poor quality of feeds for lambs and kids at weaning, causing a sharp drop in weightand possible death.

c) Health Problems:Farmers face various Health problems related to their livestock due to no Vaccination,Deworming, Medication and Mix-Grazing system. They are far away from the LivestockHealth Facilities e.g Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries and also don’t afford treatmentexpenses. At Alpine Pastures Health problems of the livestock that are commonly faced by thefarmers include Pneumonia, Entero-toxaemia, Tympany, Eye infection, Mouth lesions,Fractures of bones, Worm infestation especially Fasciolosis and transmission ofcontagious and other diseases e.g PPR, Anthrax, Contagious Pustural Dermatitis,Pleuropneumonia, Foot and mouth disease from unvaccinated animals.

A. Diseases Control Strategies:a) Vaccination: Vaccination is one of the most effective means of controlling diseases in the

flock. The vaccination schedule can be finalized in consultation with the local veterinarianbased on the threat of diseases in a particular area, season or part of the year when a flock ofsheep / goats are being migrated to the Alpine grazing area. The following vaccines arecommonly available for sheep and goats. Consult the veterinarian for knowing which vaccinesto use.

Enterotoxamia Pleuropneumonia Foot and mouth disease Peste des petites Ruminants (PPR) Contagious Pustural Dermatitis Anthrax

Vaccination Schedule for Sheep/Goat

Note: Peste des petites Ruminants (PPR) should be used particularly for goats inthe month of August.

b) Deworming: In sheep and goat farming, the infestation of roundworms, tapeworms, andlungworms can cause heavy financial loss. The most commonly occurring internal parasitic Page14

VII. Poor nutrition of lactating dams, leading to low milk yields and poor rates of growthand survival among lambs and kids.

VIII. Poor quality of feeds for lambs and kids at weaning, causing a sharp drop in weightand possible death.

c) Health Problems:Farmers face various Health problems related to their livestock due to no Vaccination,Deworming, Medication and Mix-Grazing system. They are far away from the LivestockHealth Facilities e.g Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries and also don’t afford treatmentexpenses. At Alpine Pastures Health problems of the livestock that are commonly faced by thefarmers include Pneumonia, Entero-toxaemia, Tympany, Eye infection, Mouth lesions,Fractures of bones, Worm infestation especially Fasciolosis and transmission ofcontagious and other diseases e.g PPR, Anthrax, Contagious Pustural Dermatitis,Pleuropneumonia, Foot and mouth disease from unvaccinated animals.

A. Diseases Control Strategies:a) Vaccination: Vaccination is one of the most effective means of controlling diseases in the

flock. The vaccination schedule can be finalized in consultation with the local veterinarianbased on the threat of diseases in a particular area, season or part of the year when a flock ofsheep / goats are being migrated to the Alpine grazing area. The following vaccines arecommonly available for sheep and goats. Consult the veterinarian for knowing which vaccinesto use.

Enterotoxamia Pleuropneumonia Foot and mouth disease Peste des petites Ruminants (PPR) Contagious Pustural Dermatitis Anthrax

Vaccination Schedule for Sheep/Goat

Note: Peste des petites Ruminants (PPR) should be used particularly for goats inthe month of August.

b) Deworming: In sheep and goat farming, the infestation of roundworms, tapeworms, andlungworms can cause heavy financial loss. The most commonly occurring internal parasitic Page14

VII. Poor nutrition of lactating dams, leading to low milk yields and poor rates of growthand survival among lambs and kids.

VIII. Poor quality of feeds for lambs and kids at weaning, causing a sharp drop in weightand possible death.

c) Health Problems:Farmers face various Health problems related to their livestock due to no Vaccination,Deworming, Medication and Mix-Grazing system. They are far away from the LivestockHealth Facilities e.g Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries and also don’t afford treatmentexpenses. At Alpine Pastures Health problems of the livestock that are commonly faced by thefarmers include Pneumonia, Entero-toxaemia, Tympany, Eye infection, Mouth lesions,Fractures of bones, Worm infestation especially Fasciolosis and transmission ofcontagious and other diseases e.g PPR, Anthrax, Contagious Pustural Dermatitis,Pleuropneumonia, Foot and mouth disease from unvaccinated animals.

A. Diseases Control Strategies:a) Vaccination: Vaccination is one of the most effective means of controlling diseases in the

flock. The vaccination schedule can be finalized in consultation with the local veterinarianbased on the threat of diseases in a particular area, season or part of the year when a flock ofsheep / goats are being migrated to the Alpine grazing area. The following vaccines arecommonly available for sheep and goats. Consult the veterinarian for knowing which vaccinesto use.

Enterotoxamia Pleuropneumonia Foot and mouth disease Peste des petites Ruminants (PPR) Contagious Pustural Dermatitis Anthrax

Vaccination Schedule for Sheep/Goat

Note: Peste des petites Ruminants (PPR) should be used particularly for goats inthe month of August.

b) Deworming: In sheep and goat farming, the infestation of roundworms, tapeworms, andlungworms can cause heavy financial loss. The most commonly occurring internal parasitic

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infestations in that area is Fasciolosis due to high snail population, Animals suffering fromworm infestation should be identified and dewormed. A deworming calendar can be designedin consultation with the local veterinarian. Deworming should be done throughout the year.

c) Dipping/Spraying: Dipping or spraying for external parasites is one of the most importantroutine management operations in the sheep production enterprise. Dipping is more effectivethan spraying but it is difficult in migratory farming system. in dipping the sheep are made toswim in through a dip filled with insecticide, Normally they do not like to enter into water, sothey must be forced to do this. Dipping/Spraying may be repeated in the case of severeinfestations at intervals of 7-14 days. Procedural tips to remember are:

i. Dip or spray the week after shearing to allow any cuts from sharing to heal.ii. Choose a bright sunny day for dipping/spraying.

iii. Use the insecticide strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.iv. While dipping/spraying make ensure to cover the whole body and permit the

insecticide on the body for some time to be effective.v. After treatments keep sheep in sun to ensure that the liquid is drained and dried

thoroughly.Note: Use the dipping or spray if external parasites are seen / detected. Consult the veterinarian forthe medicines to be used for spray or dip.

References:1. Animal Husbandry by Dr Syed Iqbal Shah, 1994.2. FEEDLOT FATTENING OF SHEEP & GOATS FOR QUALITY MUTTON PRODUCTION TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY by Dr. Mohammad

Afzal Chief Executive Officer Livestock and Dairy Development Board Islamabad.3. Livestock Marketing systems and Value Addition in Pakistan by Dr Muhammad Sharif, Social Sciences Division Pakistan Agriculture

Research Council, Islamabad4. Pakistan Economic Survey, 2009-2010.5. SHEEP AND GOAT PRODUCTION by Bakht Baidar Khan Arshad Iqbal and Muhammad Iqbal Mustafa Department of Livestock

Management University of Agriculture Faisalabad 2003.

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