ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Animal nutritionists at the National Agricultural Research Council (NARC) have developed feedlot diets for large and small ruminants (cud-chewing animals), obtaining good results in the Potohar region and this could be replicated by farmers elsewhere in the country for similar results.

Most of the feed ingredients used were agro-industrial byproducts, providing quality feed at the least price, according to Dr Imdad Hussain Mirza of NARC’s Animal Science Institute (ASI), Islamabad.

He said a team of nutritionists from the Institute had carried out research studies for technology development for cost- effective feedlot fattening of ruminants. It focused on finding out the proper age and nutrient requirements of animals to be fattened and the period of fattening for optimum growth and economic efficiency, before they were slaughtered.

Slaughtering parameters were also studied to evaluate carcass and meat quality.

The technology has been developed, demonstrated and adopted by a number of farmers, particularly in the Potohar area. This technology could increase the income of farmers up to Rs300-500 per sheep/goat and Rs700-1,000 per cattle/buffalo calf over the routine rearing under the traditional system, said the official NARC spokesperson.

Worldwide feedlot diets were usually very dense in food energy to encourage fat deposition, or marbling, in the animal’s muscles. This fat was desirable as it led to ‘juiciness’ in the resulting meat. The animal may gain an additional 400 pounds (180 kg) during its three to four months in the feedlot.

Aside from ethical and environmental concerns, feedlots have come under criticism for human health reasons. The tissues of feedlot-raised cattle have far more saturated fat than those of grass-fed cattle. Feedlot-raised beef may, after long periods on the feed, have reduced healthy Omega-3 fatty acids because of the corn-and-grain diets of the cattle.

But, the NARC official believed that the diet they had developed was natural and according to the traditional rearing of animals in Pakistan. They said test results in the Potohar areas were good and their efforts would contribute towards meat production, increasing farmers’ incomes.

The NARC spokesperson said the council was playing an important role for developing farmer-friendly technologies to increase their incomes. One such technology was feedlot fattening of small and large ruminants.

Under it, farmers fed high concentrate diets to their growing animals 90 to 100 days, leading to a gain in body weight from 700 to 1,200 grams daily, and a yield of high quality meat.

Due to rapid increase in the country’s population and economic development, pressure on the livestock sector for supplying more meat and milk was increasing. It was a challenge for animal scientists to increase milk and meat production.

Livestock accounts for 46.8 per cent of agricultural value added gross domestic product (GDP) and about 10.8 per cent of the national GDP. About 30-35 million rural farmers were engaged in livestock raising, having households holdings of five to six sheep/goats and two to three cattle per family, contributing 30- 40 per cent of their income.