Silvipastoral system for livestock production : Performance of small ruminants

Abstract

Long term studies on growth performance of small ruminants under grazing condition on silvipastoral system revealed average growth rate of kids and lambs to be 75.4 and 69.2 g/head/day, respectively. Growth rate of lambs and kids, on the basis of 478 days grazing, was 33% and 39% higher in silvipasture over natural grasslands. The wool production from sheep was slightly higher in silvipasture than natural grassland. The small ruminants could maintain their body weight on silvipastoral system throughout the year without  supplementation of concentrates while animals grazing on natural grassland required supplementation at the rate of 1.0 kg/head/day green leaves of tree or concentrates during dry periods (winter and summer season). The milk yield of ewes grazing on three, two and single tier of silvipasture and natural grassland showed increase in milk yield by 63.8, 28.1 and 8.8%, respectively over natural grassland. Thus, silvipasture system is better than natural grassland for higher growth rate, milk yield, wool production and maintenance of small ruminants.