Write notes on -
(a) Crossbred animals
(b) Sheep rearing
(c) Pisciculture
(d) Cultured pearls
Answers
SHEEP REARING is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin and parchment.
Sheep can be raised in range of temperate climates, including arid zones. Farmers build fences, housing, shearing sheds and other facilities on their property, such as for water, feed, transport and pest control. Most farms are managed so sheep can graze pastures, sometimes under the control of a shepherd or sheep dog.
The major sources of income for a farm will come from the sale of lambs and the shearing of sheep for their wool. Farmers can select from various breeds suitable for their region and market conditions. When the farmer sees that a ewe (female adult) is showing signs of heat or estrus, they can organise for mating with males. Newborn lambs are typically subject to tail docking and males may be castrated.
"""Crossbred animals:
The profits from cross-breeding animals are higher as they yield more. The Indian cow produces 5 to 6 liters of milk per day. If Indian cow and Jersey, Holstein or Red Dean Bull are crossed, their descendants produce 10 to 12 liters of milk per day. Devani, Khilari, Kandhari, and Dangi are selected at national level for cross breeding.
Sheep rearing:
1) Food of sheep: No expenditure is incurred on feeding the sheep by the farmer. Sheep feed on the leaves of the boron and babhul tree, wild shrubs, jowar stubble, groundnuts, horse grams, and so on.
2) Uses of sheep: Sheep give through their droppings wool, meat, skin, and also manure. One Indian sheep gives one and half kilogram of wool and 10 to 12 kg of meat. The sheep droppings have a very high nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash content.
Pisciculture:
Fresh water and seafood are consumed both as food. Earlier people were dependant on catching fish from the water bodies naturally. Now the government supplies fish seed of good quality. These seeds or larvae are grown in bodies of water and fish are grown in desirable and marketable sizes.
Renavi and khasi are few types of marine fishes used for fish farming.
Cultured pearls:
Pearls have been important since ancient times in the production of ornaments, decorative articles, and borders. This great demand has led to an industry of pearls. Pearls are naturally formed in a marine animal called an oyster. With the help of a new technique a grain of sand is inserted into the body of the oyster.
This helps to build larger cultivated pearls. Cultivated pearls are produced on a commercial basis and cannot be considered artificial since they are naturally produced by oysters."""