Study of the Feeding Practices through Lopping in Barawa

Abstract

"According to farmers perception, lopping is a good practices, which contribute to cattle health and milk production of animals. Thus, it may be recommended that:Farmers should be encourage to mix green leaves in dry fodder to increase the palatability and digestibility of the dry fodder. Efforts should also be made to preserve the green leaves by drying in the shade for utilization during the scarce period; There is a need to plan the lopping excercises so as to get maximum output. Lopping of neem should be done before flowering and under fall of leaves to obtained higher productivity per plant; The neem trees are preferable species in the village so plantation of neem tree should be done in community pasturelands. Likewise neem, subabul (Leucenea leucocephola) may be planted, because this is good tree for green leaf fodder; Large cattle depend on the grass/ crop residue that is obtained from the beed/Wasteland of the individual farmers, while the fodder obtained from the charnot/ pastureland is used during the lean period and for the small ruminants. Therefore it once again proves the criticality of the commons for the marginalised people; Farm boundary plantations may be encouraged to improve the availability of green fodder as well as to improve the income of the farmer with surplus as leaf bearing trees have definitely emerged as a saleable commodity (are usually given on lease to needy farmers); Seva Mandir's Pasture land and Afforestation program can learn from the findings of this study and the same can be implemented in other areas as well. The concerns regarding small ruminants will have to be incorporated in the other works if the work has to have sustainability."