This study provides data on livestock production systems in the West African Sahel with special reference to Mali. Management practices are described and details of demography in relation to herd and flock function are provided.
Data on cattle productivity were collected during a 6-year study of nine herds. Average age at first calving was 49.5 months and mean parturition interval was 22 months. Calving was highly seasonal and correlated with rainfall at 9 and 10 months previously. Total lifetime production of young was about three calves per breeding cow. Growth was slow and mature weights were not reached until 5 years of age. Weight losses occurred each year during the dry season even in young, growing stock. Over the 6-year study period, mature weights of oxen declined by about 100 kg and those of cows by about 30 kg, both being correlated with a reduction in annual rainfall. Abortions totalled 3.3% of all parturitions and total deaths to 4 years of age were 31.6%. Adult mortality was about 5% and offtake about 8.4%. The three productivity indices calculated (weight of calf produced per breeding cow per year, per kg breeding cow per year and per kg metabolic weight of breeding cow per year) were 34.4 kg, 0.16 kg and 0.70 kg.
Data on small ruminants were collected from 40 flocks. Average age at first parturition was 15.9 months, the mean kidding interval for goats was 9.6 months and for sheep 8.6 months, while litter sizes were 1.19 and 1.04 for the two species respectively. The average numbers of parturitions for breeding females present in the flocks were 2.2 for goats and 1.8 for ewes. Growth was rapid and continued uninterruptedly to 3 years of age with much less marked seasonal variations than in cattle. Abortions in goats and sheep were 12. 6% and 5.1% respectively while total preweaning mortalities for the two species were 34.4% and 23.4%. At 4 years of age, only 38% of all goats and 30% of all sheep born were still in the flocks. The productivity indices for goats were 14.6 kg, 0.494 kg and 1.23 kg and those calculated for sheep were 28.4 kg, 0.867 kg and 2.22 kg.
