A study of the animal husbandry parameters of the Ndama breeding under the traditional management system in The Gambia

Abstract

In The Gambia, an epidemiological survey was conducted from November 1987 until October 1989 on trypanosomosis in the Ndama cattle raised in low and high infestations areas with the purpose of determining some production parameters under the traditional management system. The monthly births, the mortalities, the weight changes and the strongyle egg excretion are presented together with the haematocrit and monthly and yearly prevalence of trypanosomosis. For the authors, profitable animal husbandry is possible with the Ndama cattle in such trypanosoma infested region. But the retruns depend on the feed availability rather than on the rate of the trypanosomosis prevalence. Better results are obtained with enforced control of bushfires, more comprehensive herd management including selection culling deworming and feed supplementation in so far as the economic conditions allow it for the latter.