The effect of climate on raising sheep and goats in the holy city of Karbala

Abstract

Ruminant animals, especially sheep and goats, are an essential source of food for humans and an important pillar of the national income in Iraq, especially Karbala Governorate. The study of these animals has attracted the attention of researchers in all sciences, including geography. The study took the climatic factors represented by solar radiation, temperature, rain, relative humidity and wind, to show their effect on the breeding of these animals. The research concluded that the location of the study area had a role in determining the climatic characteristics, as it made it characterized by extreme extremes in temperature, and it is also characterized by the lack of rain and its fluctuation due to its continental location and the high amount of solar radiation in the region, which leads to heatstroke or heat stress in ruminants, and then a lack of appetite. food, which is reflected in its production. Climate elements indirectly affect the type and quantity of fodder available to animals, their fodder needs, the type of plants and the entire crop composition, as each crop needs certain climatic conditions of its own. However, the long duration and intensity of solar radiation, especially in the hot months, has negative repercussions on the fauna and flora in the region. The region's rains are also characterized by their fluctuation, irregular fall, and low quantity, so they are not directly dependent on in agriculture, which makes reliance on irrigation inevitable. However, despite its scarcity, it works to reduce the number of irrigations needed by fodder crops and agricultural crops whose by-products are included in animal feed