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SHEEP PRODUCTION S.K. KAUSHISH ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research New Delhi S.K. Kaushish Former Head Division of Animal Sciences and Forage Production, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur ICAR Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture Indian Council of Agricultural Research Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan, New Delhi 110 012 Printed : September 2012 Project Director Dr Rameshwar Singh Incharge, English Editorial Unit Dr R P Sharma Editing Madhu Aggarwal Chief Production Officer Dr V K Bharti Technical Officer Kul Bhushan Gupta All rights reserved © 2012, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi ISBN : 978-81-7164-112-3 Price : Rs 500 Published by Dr Rameshwar Singh, Project Director (DKMA), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi 110 012, lasertypeset at M/s Print-O-World, 2579, Mandir Lane, Shadipur, New Delhi 110 008, and printed at M/s Chandu Press, 225, DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase I, New Delhi 110 020 Preface The current population of sheep in India is about 61.8 million, whereas developed countries of the world have about 45% of sheep and the developing countries on the other hand have about 55% of sheep population. Presently, the sheep in India are providing 230 million kg mutton, 53.7 m kg wool and 52.4 m kg skins annually. Sheep plays a vital role in the livelihood security of over 9m population of small and marginal farmers and landless labourers. Since sheep are reared under ecologically poor zone, they are blamed for causing vegetative destruction, soil erosion and desertification. The gravity of situation can be gauged from the fact that India with only 2.30% of the land area of the world is maintaining nearly 16.65% of the world human population and about 20.01% of the livestock population. Studies conducted have revealed that a marked improvement can be achieved in the overall productivity through food and fodder resource development and their effective utilization. The targeted growth rate of 8% of Indian economy during eleventh five-year plan is possible only if we achieve growth rate of 4% in agriculture. The growth rate of 4% in agriculture is possible only if a growth rate of at least 7.5% is achieved in livestock sector. The subject of sheep production and management has been introduced in many agricultural universities at graduate and postgraduate levels. Many books have been written by foreign authors and we have been following them. As the climate of this region is different from that of those countries, these publications are far away from realties under our conditions. The aim of this book is to present consolidated latest information on different aspects of sheep production accrued through research and development programmes undertaken during the last five decades. The information has been compiled/collected from the reports/published works of various authors. Very few books have been written on sheep management under our conditions. As these are not according to the syllabi being followed in agricultural universities. The present work is not the sole effort of the author but is a compilation of research findings of a large number of academicians, research workers including rural people. The author has brought out the present book keeping in view the requirements of Sheep Production IV undergraduate and postgraduate students of sheep production, the teachers, scientists, farm managers and planning officers, development agencies and administrators. The aim has been to present a comprehensive volume of information. I am indebted to many of my colleagues, who have made the writing of this book possible in particular to Dr VK. Taneja, the then DDG (Animal Sciences), Dr S.A. Karim, presently working as Director of CSWRI, Avikanagar. I am also thankful to Director CSWRI, Avikanagar, for allowing me to use some of the photographs. I am equally indebted to all the faculty members of the Division of Animal Science and Forage Production. I am highly thankful to Shri Suresh Chander Roj, Shri Om Prakash Jayal and Shri Kailash Chohan who have shared the burden of some of the development work reported. In the end, I would like to express my feelings of gratefulness to my wife, my son and his wife and my daughter and her husband for their continuous moral support. S.K. Kaushish D-327, Saraswati Nagar New Pali Road Jodhpur 342 005 Contents Preface Hi 1. General View 1 2. Breeds of Sheep 25 3. Housing 41 4. Establishment and Culling 51 5. Migration 58 6. Sheep and Lamb Management 67 7. Reproduction 82 8. Embryo Technology 132 9. Biotechnology for Small Ruminants Production 140 10. Wool 145 11. Pelt Production 198 12. Mutton Production 210 13. Milk 232 14. Health Management 242 15. Nutrition 269 16. Pastures and Forages 297 17. Economics 334 18. Farm Records 341 Appendix-I Glossary of technical terms 351 Appendix-II Body weights of lambs of different breeds at different ages 373 Appendix-Ill Live weight gain in different breeds 378 Appendix-IV Botanical and common names of some fodder trees 380 References 394 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 N https://archive.org/details/sheepproductionOOOOkaus 1 . General View S heep were domesticated long before the dawn of recorded history. Wool fibers have been found in the remains of primitive villages in Switzerland that date back to an estimated 20,000 years. Sheep and goat were first domesticated by man between 7500 and 6500 bc for meat and milk (Harlan, 1976). Mention is made in the Bible of sheep flocks and lambs. At that time humans would follow feral flocks of sheep from their winter valley pastures as they migrated to the cooler, High Mountain pastures. Early humans, in their search for food, clearly recognized a valuable species with the capability of providing both meat and skins (Zeumer, 1963). The Soay, a primitive type of sheep still found in Britain, may be typical of the original domesticated types, with a hairy outer coat and a dense undercoat of short fine wool. Very little information is available about the original selection and domestication of sheep; they are thought to have descended from wild type like the Moufflon sheep. Selection practices not only removed most of the wild instincts, leaving the species completely dependent on man for management and protection, but the tail also lengthened. As weaning began to develop as an important advancement, more definite type and breeds of sheep began to emerge. A breed was developed in Spain for fine wool. The English also developed many breeds that would adapt to their varying climate. Spain and England developed as two super powers in wool production between 1000 and 1500 ad Most of the breeds we come across in U.S. are from these two stocks. Columbus introduced domestic sheep in West Indies during his second voyage in 1493. With the invasion of Spain by Napoleon, Merino spread to other parts of the world. Some along with many English breeds found their way to the United States, where their number increased. Now a days, the sheep is remarkable in the diversity of its varieties, breeds and crosses. The historical development and inter-relationships Sheep Production 2 of the significant types have been studied comprehensively by Ryder and briefly outlined elsewhere (Cunningham and Stamp, 1987). Sheep have become widely distributed with types adapted to a considerable range of climatic conditions varying from semi-arid to cold, moderate rainfall conditions (500-1500 mm annual rainfall). Sheep of different types have adapted to a wide range of temperatures, from sub¬ zero in winter in several countries to 25°C or so on the fringes of continental deserts. The global distribution of sheep has developed not only because of their physiological capacity to adapt, but also as a consequence of historical and socio-economic factors. A range of types has been bred to meet specific commercial purposes. The four main products - meat, wool, manure and milk - vary in importance, from the use of multi¬ purpose types encompassing all products to those providing a single product, the former being more important in peasant economies. Wool as a primary product is associated with systems in the semi- arid areas of the world, notably in the Southern hemisphere, where Australia, South Africa and South America produce Merino-type wool. In areas with a temperate climate, meat production predominates with New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland and Australia being important producers. Milk, which is converted mainly into cheese or to yogurt, is important in many parts of the world, but is specially so in the Mediterranean area, parts of Asia and Africa. Roquefort cheese is manufactured mainly from ewe’s milk in the South of France and has a worldwide market. In recent times, specialist dairy flocks have sprung up throughout the UK, producing cheeses, which meet a ready market. Classification All the sheep have several characteristics in common. As a member of animal kingdom, they belong to the Phylum Chordata (back bone), class Mammalia (suckle their young ones), order Artiodactyla (hooved, even footed), family Bauidae (ruminants), genus Ovis (domesticated and wild sheep) and species Ovis avies (Within this species many different breeds exist). All the pure breeds and crossbreds have their place. Classification of different species is given in Table 1.1 (Kaushish 2009). Sheep are important in the utilization of vast areas of grazing land, be it mountainous, hill or range, much of which is unsuitable for other agricultural purposes, but sheep are also integrated into systems in the more productive cropping areas to utilize crop residues, maintain soil fertility and to integrate grassland into crop rotations.