By: A. Riasi (PhD in Animal Nutrition & Physiology)

2. Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran Animal Nutrition on the Rangeland (Part 1) By: A. Riasi (PhD in Animal Nutrition & Physiology) http://riasi.iut.ac.ir

3. The topics • Role of ruminant livestock in sustainable agricultural systems • Introducing the grazing animals • Principles of ruminant nutrition • Anatomy and physiology of ruminants digestive system • Advantages of pregastric fermentation • The options for increasing intake on a high quality pasture • Role of energy and protein in ruminant nutrition

4. The topics (continue) • Matching nutritional requirements of livestock • Forage sampling and production estimates, plant toxicity and grazing- related disorders.

5. Introduction Grazing animals are very important for agricultural and natural resources systems.

6. Introduction Efficient nutrient cycle in a pasture system

7. Introduction Much of what we understand about livestock nutrition has been developed from studies and experience with confinement feeding operations.

8. Introduction The intensive animal rearing systems leave out many of the biological and climatological variables that accompany grazing situations: • Plant species • Forage stage of maturity • Soil fertility and water holding capacity • Annual and seasonal precipitation and mean temperature, etc.

9. Introduction Grasslands and rangelands occupy a large proportion of the world area.

10. Introduction

11. Introduction Ruminants are grazing animals that have the ability to: • Digest and metabolize cellulose (plant fiber), and ferment it to form the volatile fatty acids (VFA). Glucose

12. Introduction

13. Introduction

14. Introduction Ruminants are grazing animals that have the ability to: • Produce microbial proteins that the animal can then digest and use.

15. Introduction Ruminants are grazing animals that have the ability: • They can be utilized to control weeds or to harvest crop residues • Convert plant carbohydrates and proteins into available nutrients for human use • Grazing animals can also be an added source of income

16. Introduction Ruminants are grazing animals that have the ability to: • Making otherwise unusable land productive

17. Introduction Proper care of the land and its grazing animals requires a sound understanding of ruminant nutrition

18. Introducing the grazing animals in Iran There are nearly 150,000 dromedary camels living in the desert areas (South and Central) of Iran. • This is 0.56% of the world camel population and 3.8% of the Asian camel population (FAO, 2011).

19. Introducing the grazing animals in Iran Number of sheep, goat and cattle (×1000 head) in Iran during different periods Adapted from: R. Valizadeh, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

20. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • Owned by small farmers • Based on extensive grazing • Highly influenced by the environmental variables (rain fall, weather, feed supply, drought etc.) • Economic variability due to uncertainty in feed availability, weather, rainfall, market, export and import animal products mainly food materials

21. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • Its number or increment rate is declining in comparison with the past decades because of urbanizations industrialization, low income, etc. • Genetic structure and physiological characters of the most Iranian sheep and goats are not clear • No comprehensive standard investigation had been carried out on distinguishing different breeds of these animals

22. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • What is known as breed of sheep or goat is based on the apparent physical conformation • All of the Iranian sheep breeds, except one (Zel breed) are fat-tail types Zel sheep (Aryan sheep)are raised for both meat and milk Farahani sheep (A fat-tail Iranian sheep)

23. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • Although Iranian sheep and goats are grouped according to their main products: • Meat • Milk • Fiber (wool or mohair) • Hide

24. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • These small ruminants are resistant to high level of inorganic minerals in feeds and forages • Iranian sheep and goat live and produce over a remarkable wide range of environments from the desert type dry and warm climate to the mountainous cold zones

25. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • Iranian sheep and goats appear in different color from white to the completely black and many classes between Afshari sheep Balouchi sheep Balouchi sheep Shall sheep Sangsari sheep

26. Some important characteristics of sheep and goat rearing in Iran • Iranian sheep produce mainly coarse fiber which is suitable for Iranian carpet industry • Most of Iranian breeds are high–set animals which is a suitable character for grazing over the rocky and mountainous areas

27. Importance of the nutrition of grazing animal In grazing situations, ruminant nutrition affected by different biological and climatological variables: • Plant species • Forage stage of maturity • Soil fertility and water holding capacity • Annual and seasonal precipitation • Mean temperature and etc

28. What are seven principles of ruminant nutrition? 1- Ruminants are adapted to use forage because of microbes in their rumen. 2- To maintain ruminant health and productivity, feed the rumen microbes, which in turn will feed the ruminant. 3- Ruminant nutrition needs change depending on age, stage of production, and weather.

29. 4- Adequate quantities of green forage can supply most- if not all- the energy and protein a ruminant needs. 5- Forage nutritional composition changes depending on plant maturity, species, season, moisture, and grazing system.

30. 6- Supplementation may be necessary when grass is short, too mature, dormant, or if animal needs require it (high-producing dairy animal). 7- Excessive supplementation may reduce the ability of the rumen microbes to use forage.