The size, structure and efficiency of Mongolian flocks and herds on degraded grasslands
Gantuya Jargalsaihan A , Udval Gombosuren A , David R. Kemp B E , Karl Behrendt B C , Davaasambuu Lkhagvasuren A , Luvsan Gankhuyg A and Colin G. Brown D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Research Institute for Animal Husbandry, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
B Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
C Food, Land and Agribusiness Management Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, England.
D School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: dkemp@csu.edu.au
The Rangeland Journal 43(4) 235-246 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ21014
Submitted: 1 April 2021 Accepted: 18 September 2021 Published: 20 November 2021
Abstract
Since 1990, the number of livestock in Mongolia has more than doubled. In large areas of Mongolia, grassland degradation is now a problem of national concern. A survey was done of 10 herders in two Soums (Altanbulag and Khashaat; heavily and moderately degraded, respectively) to measure the animals (sheep, goats, cattle and horse numbers, sex and weights) and grasslands (species and biomass) every 3 months from April 2017 to December 2018. Rainfall is mostly in summer and mean monthly temperatures vary from –20 to 20°C. Throughout the study, the grassland herbage mass in summer was less than 0.5 t dry matter/ha, below that considered sustainable for the steppe. Herders had 200–1000 sheep equivalents (SE, 50 kg base weight), moved camps 2–4 times each year and stocking rates varied from 0.5–1 SE/ha. Female animals reached their mature weights by 4 years of age (sheep 50 kg, goats 40 kg, cattle 350 kg, horses 300 kg). Animals only grew over summer, but a significant part of that was compensatory gain in animals >1 year old. Over winter, sheep and goats lost 21–29% of their liveweight, cattle and horses 15–30%. The weaning rate was 43–48% across species. The male:female ratio (>2 years old) was sheep 63%, goats 72%, cattle 27% and horses 106%. All animals are managed in common mobs with no particular control of breeding. Areas where the efficiency of livestock production and grassland productivity could be improved are discussed.
Keywords: degradation, efficiency, grasslands, livestock, Mongolia.
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