Mountainous / Hilly Areas
Arid, Semi-arid Areas ll Tribal Areas ll Mountainous / Hilly Areas
Livestock Sector in Bhutan
Bhutan’s livestock production system is based on a tight interdependency between cropping systems and various breeding systems. The production systems in the country are determined, mainly by varying altitudes and are described below in detail for each livestock species.
1. Yak Herding:
The yak herding system involves the annual migration of yak and sheep herds from
alpine rangeland (around 5000 m) to low land winter pastures (around 2500 m) , mainly due to shortage of pasture in the high altitude areas in winter, which are covered with snow. In this system, a certain number of small holders often pool their herds together for economic reasons and animals are moved across sometimes the Geog boundaries along with the whole households. Two different types of migrating yak production systems may be differentiated: the pastoral system and the agro-pastoral system.
1.1 Pastoral system:
Under this system, the yak herders depend entirely on yak breeding for livelihoods given the fact that they have no cultivable land holdings. They are nomadic communities without any permanent settlement; moving with their yak hair tents and their herds (comprising minimum 20 to over 40 animals) tending their animals in a migratory pattern in pursuit of fodder. These pastures are not registered and traditional systems of land sharing have been evolved through decades between herding communities. The herders produce no staple food and rely solely on animal products (butter, cheese, meat, fur, skin, bones, fat and manure) for food. They incorporate a system of barter and exchange part of their products with the farmers cultivating land for other life essentials.
1.2 Agro-Pastoralist:
Within this system, apart from following the aforesaid migrating pattern, yak herders also own land in the winter grazing areas where they grow potatoes, buckwheat, wheat, etc.
2. Cattle
2.1 The Migrating Bovine Herds
At altitudes between 2000m and 3000m, some farmers have a seasonal migrating pattern associated with cropping systems. The process is driven by the change in seasons with Cattle migrating to subtropical areas due to non-availability of winter fodder and the need to safeguard cattle from extreme cold weather (Ura, 2001). These herds comprise mainly locally adapted cattle (Siri) and Mithun cross animals which are very hardy, produce milk with a high fat percentage and thrive better on open grazing.
These local breeds are highly adaptive to the rough terrain and foraging on local fodder resources. Animals with higher exotic inheritance are reared mainly around homesteads, as they are not adapted to migratory management conditions. For those who have adequate household labor and income, some members of the family migrate with the migrating cattle, while some stay behind with improved animals. In other areas of the country, there are mutual arrangements between the farmer families in taking care of animals during different seasons in high and low altitudes (Gyeltshen, 2001).
In sub tropical regions where green fodder is available all year round, local migration is practised. In this system, during monsoon when the paddy is being grown, the cattle are taken away from the farm surroundings to avoid crop damage and are brought back near post harvest to graze freely.
2.2 Sedentary Bovine Herds
In this system mostly pure and crossbred exotic cattle are maintained wherein the animals are normally stall fed and grazed on improved pasture. They also receive some concentrate and crop residues such as maize or wheat flour, oil cake, turnips, rice bran and paddy straw.
3. Buffaloes:
Buffaloes are reared in Dagana, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse, Sarpang and Tsirang, the southern Dzongkhags of the country. There are only around 2000 buffaloes in the country. Farmers rear buffaloes for milk and meat purpose and rarely for draught power. Further studies need initiation to highlight the buffalo production systems and potentials in Bhutan.
4. Sheep
Primarily two sheep production systems are practiced in Bhutan (Tashi Dorji et al. 2002).
4.1 Migratory - Practiced in the northern parts of the country, sheep herds graze in low altitude in winter and are taken by yak herders in the summer to higher altitudes along with the yak herds and graze on pastures without any supplementary feed. The size of each sheep flocks count between 25 to 30 heads. The animal product is wool with some live animals being sold to neighboring Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
4.2 Sedentary - In the southern parts of the country the sheep production system is more or less sedentary and is associated with cropping systems. The flock (15 to 20 heads) is often left loose to graze in neighboring forest areas or fallow lands and supplements are sometimes given. Sheep manure is an important product that is collected by farmers to manure their fields.
5. Goats
Goats are reared almost exclusively in the southern districts of the country with the animals are mainly used for meat during festivals. The practice probably originates from the bordering Assamese and Bengali states in India. Goats are traditionally sent in the forest to graze and the impact of this type of management on environmental degradation needs further assessment.
6. Poultry
In recent years, there has been a growing interest among farmers to rear poultry as a source of income from the sale of eggs. Three production systems exist within the country.
6.1 Free Range with a Night Shelter
This is the predominant poultry rearing system wherein birds (2 to 3 per household) are allowed to scavenge in large open areas to find herbage, insects and seeds. These birds are also given kitchen residue like maize grains, broken rice as additional feed. Local breeds are preferred because of their hardiness, low feed consumption and disease resistance to pests. However, their egg production is low (60 to 80 eggs per year per hen); thus in otder to increase the egg production, “exotic” breeds have been distributed which produce about 200 eggs per year but their survivability is much lower in comparison.
6.2 Backyard
Under this semi-intensive system, 10-15 improved layers are reared under confinement and are fed with whole grain and rice or maize bran and ad libitum water. The poultry sheds are made out of locally available material (bamboo and small timber) and are preferred to minimise predator attacks. This system is practised as an imcome supplementation by most farmers.
6.3 Commercial
Poultry birds are confined in a shed in this intensive system. This system is only found in peri-urban areas and as of now only few such commercial farms are operational. Balanced commercial feed is provided. Meat, live birds, eggs and manure are produced and marketed.
7. Pigs
7.1 Scavenging and Tethering (Free Range)
This pig production system is practised traditionally in some parts of Bhutan where resources are scarce wherein pigs are allowed to scavenge in open areas during the daytime and are tethered or sheltered in the night. Pigs are tethered or sheltered during the critical agricultural periods as well so that they do not destroy the crops. Usually pigs within this system have are locally adapted breeds and have low growth rates.
7.2 Tethered
Pigs are tied throughout the day and night. They are fed with the kitchen waste, brewed alcohol residues, boiled plants and roots.
7.3 Backyard
This is the most commonly practised system with pigs being confined in a sty made of stonewalls or wood raised to a certain height with provision for shelter and a run area, which improves productivity. Animals are fed on cooked bran, cereals, kitchen wastes, shoots and other locally available agro by-products. It has been proved that this type of management limits incidence of swine diseases.
7.4 Commercial
Lately a few commercial farms have been established for fattening purposes and piglet production to meet local demand. A study has been mounted to understand the pig production systems at the national level.
8. Equines
In most areas horses are left freely in open pastures or in forests while in some cases stall feeding is practiced.
Contributed By: Country Team - Bhutan
