Characterization and evaluation of Jalauni sheep - G. Sahana^[29], A. Jain^[30] & S.B. Maity^[31]

Summary

Jalauni sheep are found in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states in India. About 37% of the geographical area of this region is under cultivation and about 86% of the population, mostly directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, live in villages. Forests, cultivable waste and barren land occupy more than 50% of the area, permanent pasture and other grazing lands about 9% and miscellaneous tree crops and grasses about 0.7%. The livestock census figures of 1977 and 1997 indicate an annual declining trend of 0.04 % in the sheep population in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states. Characterization and evaluation of Jalauni sheep under field conditions were undertaken to establish the norms, morphological characteristics and performance parameters of this breed. A total of 78 households were visited in 29villages in five districts. Information on feeding, breeding and management practices, utility patterns etc. and production and reproductive performance was collected through personal observations and interaction with the farmers. Body weight and/or body measurements were recorded for 374 animals. Average adult body weights of male and female Jalauni sheep were 35.5±2.1 and 27.2±0.7 kg respectively. Age at first lambing was 1.5 to 2 years and lambing interval one year. A ewe, on an average, delivers 7-9 lambs in her lifetime.

Resumen

La raza ovina Jalauni se encuentra en la región de la India de Bundelkhand, concretamente en los estados de Uttar Pradesh y Madhya Pradesh. Casi el 37% de esta zona se encuentra bajo cultivo y 86% de la población que vive en ella depende directa o indirectamente de la agricultura. Los bosques, zonas cultivadas y tierras yermas ocupan más del 50% de la zona, mientras que la zona de pastos y otras tierras de pastoreo que representan el 9% y 0,7% son cultivos arbóreos diversos y plantas grasas. El censo ganadero se sitúa entre el 1977 y el 1997 e indica una tendencia al declive anual en las poblaciones ovinas de estos estados. Se han llevado a cabo la caracterización y evaluación de las ovejas Jalauni en condiciones de terreno para establecer las normas, características morfológicas y parámetros productivos de la raza. Se visitaron cerca de 78 haciendas en 29poblados en cinco distritos. Se tomó información sobre la alimentación, el manejo y cría, patrones utilizados, etc., así como sobre rendimientos productivos y reproductivos, todo ello a través de observaciones personales e interacciones con los ganaderos. El peso corporal y/o las medidas corporales fueron tomados de 374 animales. La media del peso corporal adulto en machos y hembras es de 35,5+2,1 y 27,2+0,7 kg, respectivamente. La edad en el primer parto es de 1,5 a 2 años y el intervalo entre partos de un año. Una oveja pare de media 7-9 corderos durante su vida productiva.

Key words: Survey, Management practices, Characteristics, Health management, Distribution, Wool production.

Introduction

Jalauni is one of the recognized sheep breeds of India. The animals are well adapted to the local agro-climatic conditions of the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states in India. The animals of the breed, being isolated from other sheep breeds, were expected to have developed certain distinctive characteristics. Information on this breed was scanty and its current population status was not known. No evaluation or improvement programme had been undertaken for this breed before. Therefore, characterization and evaluation of Jalauni sheep under field conditions were undertaken to establish the norms, morphological characteristics and performance parameters of this breed.

Methodology

A survey programme was undertaken in the Jalaun, Jhansi and Lalitpur districts of Uttar Pradesh and the Tikamkarh and Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh to establish the breeding tract of Jalauni sheep. A total of 78households were visited in 29 villages in the five districts detailed above to collect information relating to morphological characterization. Information on feeding, breeding and management practices, utility patterns and constrains of sheep rearing in the region were collected by personal observations and interviewing the farmers. Information on reproductive performance and production traits was collected through interaction with the farmers. Body weight and/or body measurements were recorded for 246 female and 58 male sheep from various age groups. In addition to this, the body weights and body measurements of 70animals, comprising 53 females and 17 males, were recorded for the Jalauni sheep purchased from the farmers’ flocks and maintained at a livestock farm, the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI), Jhansi. The information on agro-climatic conditions of the region and socio-economic conditions of the farmers was collected from published literature.

Results and Discussion

Distribution

The survey revealed the prevalence of the Jaluani sheep in Jalaun, Jhansi and Lalitpur districts of Utter Pradesh state and the Tikamgarh and Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh. The breeding tract of Jalauni sheep comes under the Bundelkhand Zone of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states. The elevation of this area is 266 m to 560 m above mean sea level. The area is characterized by flat land with small hillocks spreading over major part of the zone. This has facilitated watershed management and construction of water tanks for irrigation. This region has a variety of soils that include clay (vertisols), clay loam (vertisol and inceptisols) and sandy loam (entisols) soils. Average annual rainfall is 900 mm to 1100 mm in this area. The temperature ranges from a minimum of 4.5°C in January to a maximum of 43°C in May. About 37% of the geographical area of this region is under cultivation and about 86% of the population, mostly directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, lives in villages. Forests, cultivable waste and barren land occupy more than 50% of the area, permanent pasture and other grazing lands about 9% and miscellaneous tree crops and grasses about 0.7%. Wheat (Triticum aestivum), gram (Cicer arietinum) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) are the major crops; sesame (Sesamum indicum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) are also cultivated. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and betel-vine (Piper betle) are main commercial crops.

Figure 1. Sheep population (in million) in the Jalauni sheep breeding tract.

Sheep population

The sheep population in the breeding tract of Jalauni sheep, as per the Livestock Census, is graphically presented in Figure 1. The census figures indicate a declining trend of 0.04 % per annum over the years from 1977 to 1997 in the sheep population in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states. A similar trend was observed in the distribution area of Jalauni sheep except Jhansi district where sheep population has increased during this period. The decline in sheep population in this region may be attributed to farmers moving towards crop agriculture and large animals.

Management practices

Jalauni sheep are maintained by the ‘Pal’ community whose members are socially and economically less developed and the majority of them illiterate. In the surveyed households, the average family size was nine. The majority of the farmers house their sheep during night but some keep them in the open. Usually other livestock like cattle, buffaloes, goats are kept in the same house separated by some sort of barrier (Figure 2). About 30% of farmers provide closed housing with complete walls on all four sides. A part of the farmers’ house is used to shelter the sheep and other livestock in most cases. The boundary walls are made of stone, bricks or locally available material and have a thatched roof. The roofs of the sheds are low and sanitary conditions poor.

Majority of the Jalauni sheep farmers are small, marginal or landless labourers and sheep rearing is their main occupation. Some farmers also maintain cattle and goats along with sheep. With increased irrigation due to watershed developments in the area, the buffalo population is also increasing. Animal husbandry practice in the region is based on a low input low output system. Jalauni sheep are maintained on grazing. The vast majority of farmers do not provide any supplementary feed to any category of animals i.e. pregnant ewes, lactating ewes, breeding rams or lambs. The animals are taken for grazing at about 9-10 a.m. and returned at sunset (Figure 3). The lambs are kept in the house for about 15 days after birth and thereafter join the flock for grazing. Average flock size was 34 and ranged from 3 to 150. Generally one adult male is maintained in each flock for breeding purpose. Tail docking is generally practised for hygiene and improved appearance of the animal.

Figure 2. Jalauni sheep within a shed.

The breeding tract of Jalauni sheep is bisected by the migratory route of the Marwari sheep breed of Rajasthan. The farmers reported that Marwari sheep, though a better performing breed, are not able to survive in this region. A few farmers who have used Marwari rams for breeding local with sheep reported that crossbreds achieved higher body weights in comparison local Jalauni sheep. However, in the rainy season, hoof problems arise due to walking on stone and in muddy conditions. Therefore, Marwari rams from the migratory flocks are generally not used on Jaluani sheep.

Table 1. Body weight and body biometry of Jalauni sheep in the farmers' flocks¹.

¹ Number of animals in brackets.
SE= Standard Error

Table 2. Body weight and body biometry of Jalauni sheep at IGFRI, Jhansi Farm¹.

¹ Number of animals in brackets
SE= Standard Error

Characteristics

Jalauni sheep are small to medium in size. The body colour is white with a light brown or black head in most animals. Generally about 5% animals, although as high at 50% in Lalitpur district, are completely black in colour. The sheep of Lalitpur districts are comparatively smaller in size and have a compact body. Both males (Figure 4) and female are polled and the face is devoid of wool. The body weights and body measurements of Jalauni sheep are presented in table 1 for farmers’ flocks and table 2 for Jalauni sheep maintained at the IGFRI farm. The ears are large, flat and drooping and the is medium in size and thin. The fleece is coarse, short-stapled and open. The belly and legs being devoid of wool.

Figure 3. Jalauni sheep flock in grazing.

Figure 4. Jalauni male.

Table 3. Body weights (in kg) of lambs¹.

¹ Number of animals in brackets

Reproductive performance

Breeding is by natural mating. Generally, one breeding male is maintained per flock. Some large flocks with more than 50 animals maintain more than one adult male. Other male animals are generally sold at 8-12months for meat purposes. Average age at sexual maturity is one year for both males and females. Average age at first lambing was 1.5 to 2 years and lambing interval one year. A ewe, on an average, delivers 7-9lambs in her lifetime. Lambing takes place throughout the year with the October and November seeing the highest number of births. Twining is rare.

Health management

The majority of the farmers, barring a few, do not vaccinate their sheep against common diseases and no veterinary treatment is provided to diseased animals due to lack of accessibility of veterinary hospitals and poor financial status of the farmers, as well as a lack of awareness. Parasitic infection and pneumonia were reported as major diseases in the area. Lamb mortality, with an average of 15-20% and as high as 50%, was reported as the major health problem. Pneumonia was reported to be the main reason for lamb mortality in winter season and diarrhoea in other seasons. Abortion was reported in 1-2% of cases.

Utility

Jalauni sheep are maintained for mutton and wool production. The wool quality is coarse. Shearing is practised 3 times in a year in the months of October - November, March-April and June-July. Average wool production is 150-200 g/shearing with an annual production ranging between 400 and 750 g. However, higher greasy fleece weight of 900g with average fibre diameter of 41.1±0.19 and 70% medullation has also been reported (Acharya, 1982). Males are sold for slaughter at an age of 9-12 months with an average body weight of 16-20 kg.

Conclusion

The farmers rearing Jalauni sheep considered that sheep rearing is becoming less profitable over the time. This is making them move towards the farming of other livestock like cattle and buffaloes. Sheep farmers do not receive any support, financial or otherwise, from government or other development agencies working in that area, nor has any breed improvement programme on sheep has been taken up in the area. The government sheep breeding farm at Jalaun maintains the Nali breed of sheep for upgrading of local sheep through distribution of Nali rams in nearby villages. As per the 1997 livestock census, the population of crossbred sheep was as low as 7.5 thousand in comparison to 0.2 million local Jalauni sheep in the area. The farmers indicated unsuitability and poor survival rates of crossbred sheep in the region. Since no systematic crossbreeding programme has been undertaken except in a few villages surrounding the government sheep breeding farms, there is no serious threat to Jalauni sheep from a conservation point of view.

Veterinary treatments and vaccination of sheep are also not accessible or affordable to the farmers. Taking into account the availability of a vast grazing area, it appears sheep rearing can be made more profitable in this region. It requires proper extension services and timely vaccination of animals as well as prompt deworming which can minimize high lamb mortality. Breed improvement programmes need to be undertaken and there is an urgent need to develop basic facilities to support the farmers in the vaccination of their sheep. Farmers need to be educated in better health care practices, hygienic management and better feeding and upkeep of their sheep in order to reduce losses. These measures will increase profitability, make sheep rearing more profitable in the area, develop confidence in the farmers and ultimately make the sheep rearing sustainable under changed the agro-ecological system of the Bundelkhand region.

Acknowledgement

The authors express sincere thanks to the Director, National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal and the Director, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi for providing necessary facilities and support to carry out this study.

References

Acharya, R.M. 1982. Sheep and Goat Breeds of India, FAO Animal Production and Health Paper No. 30, FAO, Rome, pp. 49.