Reproductive performance of African indigenous small ruminants under various management systems: A review
Abstract
Empirical data for a series of reproductive traits from a range of sources (National Agricultural Research Systems and individual studies) in different agro-ecological zones and under several systems of management are presented and discussed. Goats and sheep give birth for the first time at about 17 months. Litter sizes of goats average 1.38 kids and litter sizes of sheep 1.16 lambs. Intervals between births are about 10 months. Total lifetime production of young is better in goats than in sheep. African small ruminants have the capacity to breed all the year round. Better performance is achieved in traditional systems where breeding is uncontrolled than on research stations, although litter sizes generally appear to be larger on stations than in the traditional systems. Better management of the reproductive process could lead to greatly improved output of young.