Livestock feeds and feeding practices in rural Sundarbans Delta of India

The aim of the study was to explore, understand and document livestock feeds and feedings practices traditionally followed by the rural people in Sundarbans delta of India A qualitative participatory case study design was used for the present study with an anthropological approach to field research in the four identified villages. Various tools of participatory rural appraisal like semi–structured interview, micro-environment mapping, listing, on-site observation, seasonal analysis, and photography were applied for generation, collection, and documentation of various issues from local people's perspectives. The study reveals that livestock feeding mainly consists of grazing complemented and supplemented with stall feeding. Grazing or tethering contributed bulk of the feed. Stall feeds mainly comprised of paddy and its byproducts. Grazing practices varied with the sowing and harvesting time of paddy, and also with the intensity of cropping. Grazing starts freely in the agricultural field after harvesting of wet paddy (November to January) and continued until sowing (May to July). Tethering starts from sowing and continued till harvesting. Movement of domestic fowls was restricted mainly at the time of wet paddy sowing. The study provided valuable information that may be taken into consideration while planning an extension intervention in order to improve the situation. Many locally available grasses and plants can effectively and efficiently be utilized as valuable livestock feeds which presently remain unutilized. Seasonality of feed scarcity may be overcome to some extent by adopting the practice of hay feeding.