West African goat breeds

Abstract

African countries, particularly those West African ones, present a high diversity of goat breeds exploited in traditional production systems. Characterization studies particularly focused on zootechnical and morphological descriptions have been conducted on some goat breeds based on their role in the rural or regional economy. This chapter presents a review of the characterization studies (phenotypic) that have been carried on some goat breeds and on production systems, rearing conditions, and breeds' distribution in their natural environments. West African zones present different types of goat: long-legged goat represented by the Sahel and Touareg goats and the dwarf type, represented by the Djallonke goat. The local goat breeds are exploited in agropastoral or pastoral systems with low input. The local goat breeds are mainly raised for meat production, although some other breeds or varieties (e.g., Sahel and Touareg goats) in Sahelian or Saharian areas are also raised for milk production. However, very few studies have been carried out on their genetic characteristics. All these breeds are well adapted to their environment and play an important role in the small farmers' subsistence.