Livestock Feed Management and Fodder Consumption Pattern in Remote and Inaccessible Villages of Central Himalaya, India

It is well-nigh known that the most common sources of feed and fodder in the Central Himalayan tracts are mainly of five categories: (1) the forests; (2) common pastures and grazing lands; (3) private tree-leafy fodder; (4) field bunds and risers; (5) crop residues supplied from cropped areas. Forest, pastures and grazing commons are village property, while the rest are private owned. Barn yard millets, barley and wild sorghum are also used as concentrate feed. Green weeds are, of course, a good green fodder source, especially in irrigated tracts. The tradition of cultivated fodder is nearly absent in mountains. Shrubs, wild grasses and other herbs supply major parts of fodder supplies. The supply of grass varies with altitude, orientation of hill slopes, wind precipitation and relief of terrain. It may be obtained from leaves, twigs, shrubs, creepers, roots, bark, fruits, pods, seeds etc., other than the general grass. Intermix of all fodder grasses and leaves are believed to yield greater nutrition. Bhimal (Grewia optiva) kharik (Celtis australis) are free from tannin, which makes them best for digestibility. This paper attempts to analyse the fodder-feeding pattern in sample villages of Central Himalaya, especially in context of remotely placed far-flung tracts of Uttarakhand.