Evaluation of feed resources and feeding practices of Gurezi cattle

Introduction

Indian economy is mainly based on agriculture and livestock where, livestock are a major source of livelihood security for small and marginal farmers. According to the 20th Livestock Census conducted in 2019, the total cattle population in the country amounts to 193.46 million [1] ., with 142.11 million being of indigenous origin (BAHFS, 2020) [2] . The economic interdependence of crop and livestock production in Indian agriculture is evident, with cattle serving as a fundamental cornerstone. Unfortunately, there is a concerning decline in the population of indigenous cattle, specifically Bos indicus, witnessing a decrease of 8.94% over the last decade, necessitating urgent scientific intervention for management. Livestock plays a pivotal role in the livelihood security of rural households in the Himalayan region by providing milk, meat, manure, draught power, and a dependable source of income. In the remote high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir, indigenous cattle are particularly important because of their ability to survive and produce under harsh climatic conditions, rugged terrain, and limited input systems. Among these, the Gurezi cattle represent a valuable indigenous genetic resource that has evolved unique adaptive traits, including tolerance to cold stress, efficient utilization of low-quality roughages, and resilience to seasonal feed scarcity. The Gurez Valley, situated in the northern Himalayas of Kashmir, experiences prolonged winters with heavy snowfall, restricting grazing opportunities for several months each year. Consequently, livestock production in the region largely depends on locally available feed resources such as alpine and natural pastures during summer, cultivated fodders, crop residues, tree leaves, and conserved hay during winter. The availability and quality of these feed resources vary considerably across seasons, directly influencing animal nutrition, productivity, reproductive performance, and overall herd health. Although several studies have documented feeding systems of indigenous cattle in different parts of India, comprehensive information on feed resources and feeding practices of Gurezi cattle is scarce. Most available literature focuses on the characterization and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds, while limited attention has been paid to their nutritional management under the unique highaltitude production system of the Gurez Valley. Scientific documentation of the feeding practices followed by Gurezi cattle rearers is necessary to identify nutritional constraints and formulate appropriate interventions for enhancing productivity of animals.

Materials and Methods

The study was carried out in Gurez valley of Bandipore district in union territory of Jammu and Kahmir located at a distance of around 130 km from Srinagar city. Gurez is situated in the far north at 34° 25′ North latitude and 74° 38′ East longitude across the famous Razdan Pass at an altitude of 11,672 ft above mean sea level. The Gurez valley extends over an area of 362.88 sq. km in the form of pastures, meadows, and forests accounting for more than 93% of the total geographical area. A field survey was conducted during the study period among Gurezi cattle rearing households. Information on major feed resources utilized by Gurezi cattle, grazing duration, stall feeding, feeding frequency, quantity of concentrate offered, use of mineral mixture and common salt etc was recorded, using a pretested and structured questionnaire developed as per NBAGR guidelines. The collected data were compiled and entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using appropriate statistical software.

Results and Discussion

The study revealed that Gurezi cattle are primarily maintained on natural alpine pastures during summer under an extensive grazing system, while hay and crop residues constitute the major feed resources during the prolonged winter season. Feeding practices are largely traditional, characterized by seasonal grazing, stall feeding during snow-bound periods, limited concentrate supplementation, and inadequate use of mineral mixture. The commonly available feed resources and feeding practices are described as follows:

Tree Leaves and Shrubs

Supplementary feed sources:  Willow (Salix spp.)  Poplar (Populus spp.)  Other locally available browse species. The study revealed that during the summer season, animals are left for continuous grazing in meadows and community forests for 8-10 hours. Among the supplementary feeds, populus leaves happen to be the most common and abundant tree foliage fed to animals. These findings are in agreement with [3] . who reported that in the Central Himalayas, nearly 66% of the fodder requirement is met by pasture and tree leaves.

During winter, due to very harsh climatic conditions that last for some 6 months from November to April when the temperature even falls as low as -15°C and land route remains completely closed, there is a severe scarcity of feed/fodder. These results are in accordance with the earlier findings of [4] . who reported that the Indian livestock are mainly maintained on grazing with little or no access to mineral supplements. All these factors not only leads to deterioration of health and poor body score condition of livestock, but also lower productivity making livestock enterprise less remunerative for the owners. Very few farmers were practicing nutritional manipulation in feeding of their livestock which might probably be due to the lack of knowledge. These results were in agreement with findings of [5] . who studied, housing and feeding management practices of dairy animals in the tribal area of South Gujarat. Limited use of concentrate feed (7.61%) and mineral supplementation (6.19%) was reported from the respondents. Similar findings were reported by [6] . who reported only 6.67% of farmers fed mineral mixture to their animals. How ever, provision of salt to the animals by the farmers in all the studied animals was in conformity with the findings of [7] . who reported that urban dairy farmers in Hawassa city (Ethiopia) supplement their animals with common salt.

Conclusion

The study revealed that natural pastures constitute the major feed resource for Gurezi cattle during summer, whereas hay and stored fodders are the primary feed sources during winter. Feeding practices are largely traditional, with limited use of concentrate supplementation. Seasonal fodder scarcity, particularly during winter, remains the major constraint affecting cattle productivity.

References

1. BAHFS. Basic animal husbandry and fishery statistics. New Delhi: Government of India; 2020. http://www.dahd.nic.in/sites/pdf
2. Livestock Census. 19th livestock census. New Delhi: Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India; 2012.
3. Yadav, A.K., Kumar, A. and Singh, V., 2003. Nutritive evaluation of some native/ fodder plants in the hill and tarai region of Uttaranchal. Indian Journal of Animal Science, 73(7), 793-797.
4. Das P, Biswas S, Ghosh T K and Haldar S. 2002. Micronutrient status of dairy cattle in new alluvial zone of West Bengal. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences72(2): 171-73.
5. Sabapara, G.P., Desai, P.M., Kharadi, V.B., Saiyed, L.H. and Singh, R.R., 2010. Housing and feeding management practices of dairy animals in the tribal area of South Gujarat. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 80(10), 1022-1027.
6. Madke, P.K., Murkute, J.S., Upadhye, S.V. and Vedpathak, C.P., 2006. Adoption of scientific feeding practices by dairy farmers. Indian Journal of Animal Research, 40(2), 155-157.
7. Haile, W., Zelalem, Y. and Yosef, T., 2012. Challenges and opportunities of milk production under different urban dairy farm sizes in Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 7(26), 3860-3866.