The foundations of the herding system for livestock grazing, widely recommended by modern botany, were established and used by the Kyrgyz for a long time. They had a good understanding of the qualities of pasture grasses and their usefulness for livestock. For example, regarding sedge grass, the Kyrgyz said: "Until a horse grazes on sedge pastures, it does not gain fat."
Pastures where feather grass or fescue grows abundantly were considered the best. Feather grass pastures are geographically widespread—from the Danube (Romania, Hungary, Poland) to Transbaikalia. In the CIS countries, feather grass grows over vast territories: in the Black Sea region, the Lower Don, the Lower Volga, Crimea, the Caucasus, and Western Siberia. In Kyrgyzstan, feather grass grows on all the ridges of the Tien Shan and Alai, from the foothill semi-deserts to high mountain subalpine and alpine meadows and meadow-steppes.
Ak-shybak — Tien Shan wormwood — is a late-developing plant. In the autumn-winter period, it has more protein, fat, and less fiber than other forage plants during this time, which is why wormwood pastures are considered good autumn-winter pastures.
On rocky and sandy southern slopes — the southern side of the mountains and the foothills — where there is usually little snow, besides wormwood, there is abundant growth of teresken, kochia, salsola — kuduruk, and many other grasses and plants. Here are located indispensable autumn-winter pastures for small livestock.
In early spring, the best pastures for horses are tulan — feather grass. In winter, horses graze on grass, scattering snow with their front hooves and breaking ice.
The first spring shoots of all plants that have just awakened to life are called kok chykty by the Kyrgyz, or simply baichchekey. Buttercups, snowdrops (crocus, or winter aconite), irises, and others bloom first. The appearance of baichchekey was a sign of the arrival of spring, which people eagerly awaited.
The cutting of grass and haymaking was mainly done by herders during the flowering period; at this time, the nutritional value of the grasses is very high, and they are well consumed by livestock. Modern science has established that grasses in the milk ripeness phase contain more proteins, fats, and carbohydrates than in other phases. However, during the full ripeness period, the content of these substances decreases, while the fiber content increases. Therefore, when feeding during this period, animals leave a lot of waste — mash.
The centuries-old, life-tested experience of the Kyrgyz herders in year-round livestock maintenance on pasture feed has not lost its significance. Thousands of flocks, herds, and cattle graze in the hollows, on the slopes of the Tien Shan mountains, at Issyk-Kul, in Pamir-Alai, and Talas.
The widespread and universal use of plants as food, medicine, fodder, and fuel indicates that the Kyrgyz gradually learned, mastered, and skillfully utilized the flora of their region. Modern botany often employs the empirically obtained pre-scientific knowledge of the Kyrgyz in this field.
