Socio-Economic Characteristics of Breeders of the Sahelian Black-Haired Sheep in the Province of Barh-El-Gazel (Chad)

Abstract

In Chad, the Sahelian Black-Haired Sheep (MSPN) is an emblematic sheep breed of the Sahel region, which is threatened with extinction. This study aims to characterize the socio-economic aspects of its breeding, from the perspective of studying its phenotypic and genetic characteristics, which are key for its sustainable conservation. To this end, a survey was conducted on 110 sheep farms in the province of Barh-El-Ghazel. The results show that 81.81% of MSPN farmers are men and 18.18% are women. The average age of the farmers is 37.28 ± 8.39 years. The majority of farmers (94.54%) are married, belong to the Gourane community (100%), and are Muslim (100%). The vast majority (71.81%) have never attended school, while the rest have either attended coranic school (25.45%) or primary school (2.72%). In decision-making, male farm managers represent 77.27% compared to that of women (14.54%). All the respondents (100%) have livestock farming as their primary activity, which is part of their tradition. Labor is entirely provided by family members (100%). The herds on the farms are generally mixed. The composition of the herds is as follows: sheep only (10%), sheep and goats (1.8%), sheep, goats, cattle, poultry, donkeys, and horses (37.27%), and sheep, goats, camels, poultry, donkeys, and horses (50%). Furthermore, The MSPN herds are grouped together (100%), the majority (77.27%) roaming freely, while 22.72% are kept in thorny enclosures. In the camp, the herders (63.63%) practice small-scale transhumance in search of water and pasture; in the villages, the herds (29.09%) are sedentary, grazing during the day and returning in the evening; and in the town, the herds (7.27%) are fed locally. The workforce is entirely family-based (100%), constituted of young women (28.18%) and men (71.81%). The herds are supplemented only during the lean season with bush straw and crop residues. Watering takes place once a day at wells during the dry season and at ponds during the rainy season. The animals are vaccinated twice a year (May and November) by veterinary agents. All of the respondents treat their herds for internal parasites and deworming. The animals face water and grazing problems during the dry season in Barh-el-ghazel North, and breeding stock is replaced with other breeds in Barh-el-ghazel West and Kléta.