Livestock is the second source of income in the district. Livestock growth was 50% during the period from 1976 to 1986. The owners of the flocks have to dispose of a large number of sheep, goats and cows during a hard year, when sufficient grass and fodder are not available. There are problems in the development of livestock sector with regard to forage, health facilities and marketing. The people mostly keep sheep and goats, but also other animals like cattle, donkeys, camels and horses. These animals play a vital role in the economy of the district and provide food of rich nutritional value such as milk, meat and their by-products like wool, butter, oil, cheese, curd, skin and intestines.

Small ruminant flocks hold 40 to 60 animals. People with cattle mostly have 3 to 6 animals, some have more.⁴⁵ The herd size of other animals varies, depending upon the availability of fodder, etc.

Men, women and children are involved in the grazing of animals. Since they put in family labour, they are not paid for their services. Mostly, women look after the animals within the house. They also collect fodder and perform duties like milking of goats, sheep and cows.

For livestock census figures see annex 9.

Cows are mostly kept for their milk, in rural as well as in urban areas. Some people in urban areas keep buffaloes for milk. Bullocks and camels are kept for farming as well as for nutritional purposes. The milk production of local dairy cattle is generally low. No government dairy farm exist in the district. Old draught and dairy cattle are usually slaughtered for their meat. There is no infrastructure, processing and organisation available for meat production in the district. Hides and skins are sold on the market by individuals or through middlemen.

The small ruminants kept, are mostly sheep and goats. The herd size of the small ruminants varies between 40 to 60.⁴⁶ Culled and surplus male and female animals are sold in the market. The price fluctuates according to demand and wet or dry seasons. Wool is sold directly on the market or through middlemen. Processing and marketing facilities are not available.

Commercial poultry farming is not developed in the district. There is no private poultry farm, nor one owned by government. People mostly keep 3 to 5 poultry birds, which are looked after by the women. The income they receive from the selling of eggs is usually kept by them.⁴⁷ Poultry birds are raised mostly to meet the domestic need of eggs and meat.

The ten most common veterinary diseases are entero toxaemia, anthrax, sheep pox, foot and mouth, lack quarter, intestinal worms, external parasites, rani khet, surra (camels) and piroplasmosis. Common diseases among poultry birds are new castle, chicken pox, hydropericardium and coccidiosis.⁴⁸

Both poultry and livestock mortality is high, due to lack of awareness among the people and lack of facilities for treatment. Preventive measures, such as prophylactic vaccination, are carried out according to the scheduled programme, through public hospitals and dispensaries. Treatment, prophylactic vaccination, dipping and veterinary drugs are available at a cost at hospitals and dispensaries.

 There are two hospitals and 40 dispensaries in Barkhan district. Besides there are two artificial insemination centres. The district does not have a disease investigation laboratory. The number of animals slaughtered was 730 cattle, 1,0711 sheep and 7,300 goats in 1993-94, which increased to 12,300 sheep, 22,086 goats and 160 buffaloes in 1995-96. The total number of animals treated was 95,531 in 1993-94, which increased to 109,600 in 1995-96. In 1994-95, 103,432 animals were vaccinated, in 1995-96 the number of animals vaccinated was 101,832. The number of animals castrated was 5,872 in 1994-95 and 13,678 in 1995-96.⁴⁹

 The Assistant Director Animal Health of the Livestock and Dairy Development Department Loralai are responsible for livestock development in Barkhan district. In addition there are 3 Veterinary Officers, 32 Stock Assistants and 52 other supporting staff in the district.

 Although it is the second important sector of the economy in the district, the livestock sector has not been paid due attention. Government has provided the facilities of artificial insemination, with Friesian Cattle Semen at Barkhan, Rakhni, and Rarkan to increase dairy production, but still livestock productivity and quality is low, due to primitive husbandry practices, lack of basic facilities, in-adequate animal health and inadequate nutrition. Marketing is done on individual basis or through middlemen. No processing or proper marketing system is available. The average productivity of small ruminants is far below its potentially level. For livestock a wide gap exists between potential achievable and present productivity, as pointed out by the Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI). Deterioration of range lands causes deficiency of fodder and species of vegetation are disappearing.

Rapid mechanisation has to a great extent replaced draught animals, which are subsequently being neglected by government, despite the fact they still play an important role for ploughing and transportation purposes, specially in far flung and mountainous regions.

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