LIVESTOCK

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Classification of production systems

Based on Raising System

(extensive, semi intensive & intensive)

Based on economic objectives

(subsistence, semi subsistence, semi

commercial & commercial).

Extensive System:

It is further divided into following

categories.

Subsistence or semi subsistence

It can be best described under following two
heading.
i) Pastoralism:
ii) Crop agriculture with extensive cattle
production

Pastoralism.
No settled agriculture and sedentary
cultivation rather lead a life of nomadism.
Essentially opportunists
Prevalent in desert areas of Punjab, Sindh
and Baluchistan.
They breed and manage camels, donkey,
sheep, goat & cattle (indigenous breeds for
livestock)

Pastoralism
Management and Health:
Animals are grazed in tight groups
moving quickly over ranges (browsing
as well as grazing)
Milk production is a function of season
rather than lactation

Young calves fed milk at the time of

milking in morning and evening.
Men, women and children may conduct
milking
Production costs are lower in the pastoral
system
Diseases and parasitic infestation is most
prevalent along with the mineral &
protein deficiency

Need to prevent overstocking with

consequent overgrazing, degradation and
finally loss of the grazing resource.
Existing pastoral systems must change if
they are to survive.
The provision of adequate boarding,
educational facilities
The provision for pastoralists of some
form of insurance against drought and
other disasters

Crop agriculture with extensive

cattle production:
This system is between pastoral
nomadism and settled agriculture
Termed as agro-pastoral
Occurs where land resources are
limited, population is increasing
rapidly and there is a possibility of
growing cash crops

Observed in almost all part of the country

where the above-mentioned conditions
are present
Cattle & buffalo used in this system is
normally indigenous one but the may be
no exception for crossbred cattle

Management and Health:

Animals kept in native
When there is scarcity of feed
the livestock is shifted to the other
areas of grazing
Milk production is a function of season
rather than lactation
Diseases and parasitic infestation is the
most prevalent along with the mineral
& protein deficiency

iii) Commercial ranching:

No commercial ranching system

although in Pakistan
A wide scope exists as almost 70% of
arid & semi-arid land of the country
is consisted of ranges

Semi Intensive System

Sedentary crop agriculture with
livestock production:
I)

Most important livestock production

system
Includes more than the half population of
livestock reared in the country
Cattle owned by landless people also
included
Characterized by small size of holdings, a
mixture of subsistence, semi subsistence
and cash economies

Keeping of cattle for work

milk production,
use of old animals for meat and
Use of agriculture wastes and industrial
by-products as feed source.
In general the cattle used in this system
are indigenous in origin but crossbred
animals are also kept to have high milk
yield

Management and Health

Feeding is often haphazard and
management poor
Farmers dont cultivate sufficient area
Cattle are grazed, and fed with industrial
by products and available fodder
Farmers are responsive to the advice and
have potential for improvement

Health services are relatively available

and occasionally farmers get benefit
from them
Milk surplus to that of family needs is
sold
The major problem of the farmers is
the size of land holdings
One thing, which farmers need to be
realized, is that milk & meat are the
best cash crops.

Intensive Systems
Modern Sector Cattle production:
Two components
1.Dairying
2.Beef Production
The former has been developing in
Pakistan but yet is on its infancy stage
while there is no activity related to later
There are small numbers of large scale
private or government owned dairy farms

In this system, cattle are kept on very

good concentrate feeds
Provided
with veterinary cover and
modern techniques of A.I.
although most of the farmers keep their
own bull.
Animals of high production potential are
maintained

A. CATTLE
Cattle are kept, primarily to provide draft power
for crop production with milk as a by-product
Some cattle are kept in peri-urban milk units
along with buffalo
New progressive class of cattle farmer
developing commercial production with
improved crossbred type cattle
this category represents an insignificant part of
the national herd and milk supply
It could provide the model for long-term
development of milk & meat production in the
country

a. Irrigated areas:
About 55% of the indigenous cattle population
is kept by 2.5 million small mixed crop
livestock production units in the irrigated areas
60% are in the Punjab, 20% in Sindh and 14%
in NWFP
Male cattle have been kept to provide farm
traction
With the introduction of tractors, the
importance of work animals is declining,
milk and meat production are becoming
relatively more

Most cattle are of non-descript type

Cattle herd includes about 40% adult
females and 2025% adult males
Feed is derived from grazing
25% of total feed comes from straws,
60% from fodder crops and <10% from
purchased concentrates

b. Rain fed (barani) areas

Cattle are raised mainly for draft use
Keeping of buffalo is less common
Herds average size of about five heads
30% of the typical herd is adult females
and 40% is adult males
Following the onset of the rains and the
harvest of crops, waste areas and pasture
provides 4050% of total annual feed
Straws provide the remainder of the feed

c. Progressive farmers, crossbred cattle:

A few progressive farmers are developing
commercial milk & meat production units
Mostly
farms are devoted entirely to
milk production

B. BUFFALO
About 5.4 million households keep
buffalo for milk production
Small-scale rural units <6 head account
for 4.8 million
Peri-urban units 0.6 million of these
households
There
are few rural commercial
production units

INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEMS OF MEAT
PRODUCTION

Ruminants utilize
grasses and grains and
convert them in to more
suitable and
concentrated food for
human and provides
material for clothing,
pharmaceutical and
other valuable byproducts.

The following systems of production

are practiced in the world ,

COW CALF PROGRAM

COMMERCIAL COW-CALF PROGRAM
DUAL OR TRIPLE PURPOSE CATTLE
BABY BEEF PRODUCTION
VEAL PRODUCTION
PRODUCING FAT CATTLE
STOCKER SYSTEMS
GROWTH PROMOTING SUBSTANCES

COW CALF PROGRAM

In this system of production pure
bred cows having the good meat
production characteristics are
kept and the calves are sold.
This is relatively expensive
system as the breeder has to
maintain the conditions like feed
management etc. constant to
make it possible to the cow to
express its character.
COMMERCIAL COW CALF
PROGRAM
In this system the pedigree of
the animal is not considered. The
bulls can be used of same blood
or cross bred. In this system
breeder has the advantage of
using,

Confinement method i.e. feeding in sheds

Open range method i.e. pasture grazing.
DUAL OR TRIPLE PURPOSE CATTLE
In advance countries they have developed dual i.e.
meat and milk, triple purpose i.e. meat milk and draft
breeds. For example European Holstein was
developed as a dairy animal but it retained great deal
of beef type through selection. This system gives the
advantage that same animal is reared on one pasture
and it gives two or three benefits.

BABY BEEF PRODUCTION

In this system the calves are creep-fed up to
weaning time and pushed for rapid gain on
high quality feeds so high live weight is gained
in short time.
VEAL PRODUCTION
In this system the very young calves are kept
almost 3 months old. These are usually males
gained from dairy breed cattle.

PRODUCING FAT CATTLE

In USA these three types are involved in this system,

IMMEDIATE FATTENING
ROUGHING CATTLE THROUGH THE WINTERFULL FEED
WINTER PASTURE-FULL FEED
IMMEDIATE FATTENING
The feedlot business is based on finish cattle quickly.
A full feed program with high concentrate ration is
offered in this system. Calves weighing 175-375 kg
can be obtained in just 6 months and daily weight
gain is 1 kg with desirable carcass.

ROUGHING CATTLE THROUGH

THE WINTER-FULL FEED
In this system calves weighing 200 kg are purchased
in winter . The animal gain moderate weight kg
and then they are finished in summer by providing
spring pasture plus full-feed. At this point the animal
get rapid gain. The system is economical animal
consume dry roughages in winter and moderate
weight gain and offset by greater gain by feeding
spring pasture in the finishing period.

Winter pasture-full feed

In this system the pastures produced in winter
season are used e.g. wheat, rye, grass, barley
and oats. Animals are purchased in early fall
grazed through winter and go directly in to
feedlot for full feed ration. The advantage of
this system is utilization of cheaper roughages
than concentrates.

Stocker systems
The stocker system is mainly comprised of
heifers which are kept on farm to gain further
off springs. These are kept on winter or
summer or combination of both roughages.
The main objective of stocker is to produce
cattle for new herd, mature animal for feedlot,
slaughter those who gain slowly on roughages.

GROWTH PROMOTING
SUBSTANCES
Many different factors are associated with
growth and muscle/bone ratio in animals.
Injecting growth hormones is an importanta
factor.
ANDROGENS
It simulates growth of all body tissues. These
are responsible for characteristic development
of male with his well developed forequarter,
neck and greater size.

ESTROGEN
This hormone also causes early maturation of
muscles and bones.
PROBIOTICS
These are bacteria which are administered
through mouth to the animals. The itroduction
of probiotics to the digestive tract ensures
efficient feed conversion.

Experiment on Systems of meat

production and fattening

Animals produced on high and

medium concentrate ration

Buffalo calves at beef stage eating

high concentrate ration

Buffalo calf at beef stage eating high

concentrate ration

Buffalo calves eating medium

concentrate ration

Buffalo calf eating medium

concentrate ration (side view)

De skinning of experimental animals

at meat plant

Half carcasses of buffalo at veal

stage

Carcasses of buffalo calves at beef

stage