Grazing behavior and local management of cattle and buffaloes in rural Laos

Abstract

Laos presently is undergoing rapid economic development, which is also bringing about changes in the livelihoods of rural residents. While there is concern that these changes will also impact the way in which cattle and water buffalo are kept as livestock, there are few reports in the literature on the grazing behavior of these animals. In this chapter, we report on an ethological study on the spatiotemporal use of swidden fallow in northern Laos by primarily free-grazing cattle and water buffalo. In Kachet village, practicing swidden agriculture in northern Laos, livestock are grazed freely on first-year fallow following swidden agriculture. The results of an ethological survey utilizing global positioning system data loggers indicate that Kachet village offers environments that are suited to the free grazing of cattle and water buffalo. Shorter- and longer-term fallows in Kachet village serve different functions that are presumably necessary for the animals to maintain their body condition. We conclude that the grazing of livestock on swidden fallow constitutes rational use of space created by swidden agriculture. As this practice is well-suited to the villagers’ complex livelihood strategy, we must continue to evaluate the advantages of using swidden fallow for livestock grazing.