Livestock husbandry scenario at high altitude Kumaon Himalaya

Abstract

The livestock husbandry scenario during 2004-06 in some selected villages of Nainital district (Uttarakhand) was assessd from a total of 300 respondents. The information about the existing housing, breeding, milking, feeding and health care practices of livestock was documented. Most of the farmers in the study area kept their animals in kachha house having poor lighting and drainage facility. Breeding of animals is mainly through natural service with available bulls and the artificial insemination (AI) service was at the primitive level (21%). The milking practice involved mostly stripping method and the farmers were very much (80%) aware of clean milk production and they sale their milk to dairy co-operatives. The livestocks were mostly dependent on the locally available feeding resources like oak leaves and unclassified grasses in the village grazing land/forest area for feeding of their livestock round the year. A very few farmers were aware of vaccination programme against important livestock diseases (HS, FMD, PPR, etc.). The major constraintsin livestock development in the study area were - (i) deficiency of quality feed and folder,(ii) poor conception rate (fromAI), (iii) prolonged age at first calving (4-6 years), (iv) unhygienic housing/resting place of animals, (v) poor disease management system, (vi) high morbidity and mortality in livestock, and (vii) little knowledge about vaccination against animal diseases. There is a need to introduce scientific animal health package and practices for adoption amongst small and marginal farmers. The scenario can be improved by providing quality feed and fodder to animals, sound health and management practices and suitable animal breeding practices, which are sustainable in the hill regions