SHELTER MANAGEMENT-A MEANS TO RESIST EXTREME CLIMATIC VARIABLES

Abstract

Sheep are multi-faceted animal since they provide meat, wool, hide, milk, etc. to human beings. They form an important component of rural economy particularly in the arid, semi-arid and mountainous areas of the country. Sheep are dependable source of income to the shepherds through sale of wool and animals. They readily adapt to a wide range of climates and available feed supplies. Sheep also do not need expensive buildings to house and on the other hand require less labour than other kinds of livestock. In developed countries, sheep farming is on a large scale within fenced area whereas it consists of a large number of migratory small units in India. There is need to be an improvement in common pasture land and units, forest grazing and shift of migratory flocks towards stationary flocks by providing proper sheep housing in India. There is a continuous decrease of grazing land, forest and pressure for grazing from unproductive cattle and excessive increase of population of wild ruminants in certain areas are all exerting negative pressure on the growth of sheep. This demand for reorganized flocks to semi-migratory or stationary flock requires some kind of housing for sheep. About more than 20 million people in India are partially or fully dependent on sheep rearing. About two-third out of them in rural areas are engaged in sheep rearing for wool production, spinning, tanning etc. and others in rural and urban areas are engaged in meat production and distribution. This comparative advantage enforces rearing sheep in stationary flock even at higher cost and raising the prices of the sheep products.