Traditional goat health management practices in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Animals are reared under two systems, viz. the sedentary and the migratory/ transhumant in Chamba district. The fodder needs of the animals are met through traditional feed resources, but the migratory system of animal rearing is totally dependent on grazing in natural grasslands. The grasslands have been infested with numerous poisonous plants, causing poisoning to animals due to heavy grazing. Some of these poisonous plants are quite fatal and are major causes of livestock mortality and morbidity as veterinary services are not adequately available to provide health cover to all the animals. The farmers have to travel long distances to get their animals treated in the veterinary dispensaries. The farmers have devised their own traditional methods of treating the animals. They possess some knowledge based ethnoveterinary practices and able to distinguish the poisonous and medicinal plants to cure diseases. The communication aims at presenting the traditional animal health management practices used by the farmers with special reference to goat health in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.