Sheep and goat nutrition: newer concepts and emerging challenges

Abstract

Sheep and goat management on rangelands is challenging as these are characterized by inherently low and variable precipitation, a complex native forage base that varies widely in nutritive value and toxicity, and topographic variation encompassed by variable pasture availability. The nutritional management systems can be designed to respond to distinct seasonal plant growth patterns by ensuring that peak nutrient demand coincides with the period of nutritious available forage. The flexible and opportunistic strategies necessary for successful management in variable ecosystems are rooted in a clear understanding of the challenges facing these animal and its natural abilities to meet these challenges. This review focuses on feeds and feeding requirements, migratory system and nutritional demand, nutritional prioritization during scarce feed resources, underfeeding and altered nutritional ecology, low protein nutrition and parasitism, nutritional deficiency and immunity, high input feeding system and emerging metabolic diseases, nutrition for designer meat and milk production. The low-input production system needs to be sustained through optimized nutrient availability and by making it economically viable vis-a-vis other livestock and agricultural production systems.