Sheep fattening techniques in the sahelo-sudanese region of Senegal

Abstract

Several experimental sheep fattening trials were performed for two consecutive years at the Ecole nationale supérieure d’Agriculture (ENSA) and in village farms in the groundnut basin of Senegal. Sheep of the Peul-peul and Touabire breeds aged 9 to 30 months were used in the experiment. Use of intensive short-term fattening techniques (100 days) applied to 40 kg Touabire rams kept in loose housing conditions resulted in high liveweight gains (75-80 g/d). Feed conversion ratios (kg DM consumed per kg liveweight gain) were however related to the diet offered, ie. 14.9 for Andropogon gayanus silage; 19.6 for rangeland straw molasses; 21.3 for groundnut husks molasses. Financial returns were closely related to purchase and sales prices and to feed rations used. Profit per animal ranged from 2,900 and 10,700 F CFA at the end of a 100-day fattening period. The profits can be increased by long-term fattening trials (150 to 250 days) on natural fallow with a suitable feed supplementation. This technique which relies more on a natural dry-season forage resources is particularly suited for growing animals (25 to 35 kg liveweight) where performances range from.50 to 60 g liveweight gain per day. Being less dependent on fluctuating market prices, the long-term technique leads to increasing the profits by two as compared to those obtained by short-term technique in pens using by-products. In village farms, fattening periods lasting 60 days generate a daily liveweight gain of 48 g and 8,500 F CFA profit per animal.