Soil ingestion and its effect on dry matter intake and digestibility in sheep grazing on native ranges of semiarid region of Rajasthan

A study was carried out on a sheep flock maintained on semiarid rangeland during drought year to observe the effect of soil ingestion on dry matter intake, its digestibility and body weight changes. Sheep on an average consumed 269.81, 111.28 and 309.33 g/day soil, which constituted 39.10, 15.62 and 46.41% of total DMI during monsoon, winter and summer, respectively. The ash intake from different sources was calculated to be 51.75 g from plant, 36.02 g from soil contaminated the plant and 220.95 g from ground soil during monsoon, 46.28, 7.12 and 85.12 g during winter and 43.27, 24.92 and 269.67 g during summer season, respectively. DM digestibility was +03.50, +44.46 and −31.96% during monsoon, winter and summer due to high soil ingestion. Poor digestibility resulting in lowplane of nutrition during summer months of the drought year caused heavy mortality in adult flock. It was concluded from the study that excess intakes of soil due to drought condition during summer and monsoon seasons adversely affected the nutrition and health of sheep grazing on community rangeland of Rajasthan.