Tree Leaf Fodder — Using Willow and Mulberry the Smart Way

Long before feed bags and fodder crops, Kashmiri farmers fed their animals from the trees — and the sight of lopped willow branches stacked for winter is still part of our landscape. Tree leaf fodder deserves respect, not nostalgia: used well, it's a genuine resource. Here's the smart way to use it.

What tree leaves offer

Mulberry stands out among tree fodders — its leaves are unusually digestible and protein-rich for a leaf, and animals eat them eagerly, fresh or dried. Where sericulture left mulberry trees across the valley, those leaves are quietly excellent feed.

Willow (veer) is the traditional winter standby: branches lopped in season, dried with leaves on, and stored to be fed through the snow months. Its feeding value is moderate — well below good hay — but in deep winter, moderate green-ish fodder beats bare straw, and the tradition survives because it works.

Using them well

• Harvest sensibly: lop branches on a rotation so trees recover; never strip a tree bare. A well-managed tree feeds you for decades.
• Dry properly: hang or spread leafy branches in an airy, shaded spot. Sun-scorched or heaped-while-wet leaves lose value or mould.
• Feed as a component: tree leaves work best as a portion of the day's fodder alongside straw/hay, not as the entire diet. Their tannins and fibre profile make them a partner, not a sole feed.
• Chaff woody stems where possible so less is wasted.

The cautions

• Introduce any tree fodder gradually — sudden large amounts of tannin-rich leaves can upset digestion.
• Avoid leaves from sprayed orchard rows or roadside dust-heavy trees.
• Some ornamental and wild species are unsafe; stick to the locally known fodder trees — willow, mulberry, and others your elders already trust — rather than experimenting on the animal.
• Wilted leaves of stone-fruit trees (cherry family) are a known danger to livestock — keep animals away from such prunings.

Where it fits

Tree fodder is bulk and variety — valuable, low-cost, local. It is not concentrate: a milking animal on winter tree-leaf-and-straw fodder still needs her measured compound feed to hold yield and condition. The tradition plus the science together beat either alone.

For a winter ration built around what you actually have, call or WhatsApp Falah Enterprises, Authorized GOKA Feeds Distributor, Anantnag.