BIological Productivity of Sheep and Goats under Agro-pastoral Systems in Zamfara Grazing Reserve of Northwestern Nigeria

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION
  • JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY
  • OBJECTIVES
  • STUDY PLAN
• REVIEW OF LITERATURE
  • SYSTEMS OF SHEEP AND GOAT PRODUCTION IN THE SAVANNAH ZONE OF NIGERIA
    • Village systems
    • Pastoral systems
    • Breeds of sheep and goats
    • Sources and ownership of stock
    • Flock size and structure
  • HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
    • Stock housing
    • Stock grazing and watering
    • Supplementary feeding
    • Breeding and other routine husbandry practices
  • PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF SHEEP AND GOATS
    • Reproduction
    • Lamb and kid mortality
    • Growth
  • DISEASES AND PESTS OF SHEEP AND GOATS IN THE SAVANNAH ZONE OF NIGERIA
  • STOCK OFFTAKE AND DISPOSAL
  • MEASUREMENT OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTIVITY IN SHEEP AND GOATS
    • Individual production traits
    • Annual reproduction rate (ARR)
    • Productivity indices
  • CONSTRAINTS TO SHEEP AND GOAT PRODUCTION IN THE SAVANNAH ZONE OF NIGERIA
  • RAPID RURAL APPRAISAL (RRA) RESEARCH METHODS
    • Applications of RRA methods in pastoral studies
    • Limitations of RRA methods
  • Summary and research gaps
• THE STUDY SITE
  • LOCATION AND HISTORY
  • ECOLOGY
  • TARGET GROUPS
• DIAGNOSTIC SURVEY
  • OBJECTIVES
  • SURVEY VILLAGES
  • INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE AND ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION
  • RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
    • Survey respondents
    • Reasons for keeping sheep and goats
    • Sources of foundation stock
    • Patterns of stock ownership
    • Breeds of sheep and goats kept
    • Flock size and structure
    • Ownership of other domestic animals
    • Husbandry practices
    • Some indicators of stock performance
    • Offtake and disposal of stock
    • Constraints to sheep and goat production

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The dissertation aims to investigate the biological productivity of sheep and goats under agro-silvo-pastoral systems in the Zamfara Reserve, Northwest Nigeria. This study seeks to understand the existing livestock management practices, assess the productivity of sheep and goats in the region, and identify key constraints affecting their performance. The research utilizes a combination of literature review, diagnostic surveys, and Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) methods to gather data and analyze the situation.

• Sheep and goat production systems in the Nigerian Savannah zone
• Husbandry practices and their influence on livestock productivity
• Assessment of biological productivity indicators, including reproduction, growth, and mortality rates
• Constraints affecting sheep and goat production in the study area
• The application of RRA methods in pastoral studies

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The dissertation begins with an introduction outlining the justification for the study and its objectives. Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive review of existing literature on sheep and goat production systems in the Nigerian Savannah zone, covering husbandry practices, production performance, diseases, and the application of RRA methods in pastoral studies. Chapter 3 describes the study site, its location, ecology, and target groups. Chapter 4 presents the results and discussion of the diagnostic survey conducted in the study area. This chapter focuses on the characteristics of survey respondents, reasons for keeping sheep and goats, stock ownership patterns, breeds, flock size and structure, husbandry practices, and constraints affecting sheep and goat production.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The primary focus of this dissertation is on sheep and goat production in the agro-silvo-pastoral systems of the Zamfara Reserve, Northwest Nigeria. Key terms include sheep, goat, biological productivity, husbandry practices, reproduction, growth, mortality, constraints, agro-silvo-pastoral systems, RRA methods, and the Nigerian Savannah zone.