Jujanna at his farm

In the Udanna Chikkana Hatti (UC Hatti) village, in the Sira Taluk of Tumkur district, 26 of the 35 village households comprise shepherds (Gollas) who own approximately 4,000 sheep and goats (125 goats, the rest are all sheep). Most of these families migrate for nearly six months during mid-December to July, to places like Bangalore, Mysore and Asan, travelling up to distances of 200 km from the village. During the travel they pen their sheep on farmlands, in return for which they receive rice/ragi and some cash income. On an average shepherds are able to negotiate deals for penning animals in farmlands for 20–22 days in a month. It is learnt that agriculture yield doubles in fields that have been manured by sheep dung and urine.