Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

RAHMANN G & GODINHO D (Ed.) (2012): Tackling the Future Challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry.
Proceedings of the 2 nd OAHC, Hamburg/Trenthorst, Germany, Sep 12-14, 2012
• High variability in milk yield as well as all reproductive traits was noticed in different geographic
district and rainfall zone. This indicates the high potential producing ability of local sheep.
• Sheep in Sulaimani province are characterized by non seasonality. This should be utilized
through good flock's management to improve productivity.
• Willingness and interest of farmers for improving production through the establishment of
cooperatives.
Suggestions to tackle the future challenges of organic animal husbandry
1. High productive and reproductive performance can be achieved through improving green forage
as well as introducing new techniques (selection based breeding values, flushing up ewes premating
season and using milk replacer for feeding young lambs can save ewe's milk for human
consumption).
2. Establishing cooperatives will be important to steer and direct providing better inputs, processing
of milk and better marketing system.
3. Accelerated lambing system (three lambing in 2 years) as well as higher weaning rate with a
lower mortality rate tended to increase of number of lambs born and weaned per ewe and consequently
increase farmers’ profits, and make sheep production a continuous supply of milk,
meat and surplus lambs in such a way to market lambs on a year round basis
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