Housing and Feeding Practices in South Indian Pastoral Sheep Rearing Systems

Abstract

Adoption of housing and feeding practices among pastoral sheep farmers in Tamil Nadu, India were examined through an ex-post facto research design involving 1,160 farmers from 12 districts across seven agro-climatic zones. The study found that 95.78% of farmers own their sheep, with 66.47% practicing daytime grazing and night-time penning. Housing practices were diverse: 60.60% used field or backyard pens and 21.03% employed closed pucca houses. Inadequate housing was prevalent, suggesting a need for improved education on proper housing techniques. Feeding practices indicated that 52.16% of farmers utilized common property land and harvested fields for grazing, with 38.28% supplementing this with additional fodder. The preference for grazing over concentrate feeds was attributed to cost and lack of awareness. Water provision was generally sufficient, with 52.33% of farmers supplying water twice daily. The findings underscore the necessity of a multifaceted approach to enhance smallholder sheep farming by addressing economic, educational, and infrastructural challenges. Addressing these issues can facilitate the transition to more sustainable and profitable practices, ultimately improving farmers' livelihoods and contributing to the broader agricultural economy in Tamil Nadu, India.