Causes of small ruminant mortality on the Sankaran-Guinea plateau in 1992-93

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to identify the main causes of mortality of 83 sheep and 124 goats which were recorded in the plateau of Sankaran, Faranah, in 1992-93. The highest mortality rates, 43.8 and 39.1, were observed in lambs and kids, respectively, between 3 and 120 days of age. The heaviest losses during the wet and the dry cold seasons were linked to three causes, starvation-light birth weight-bad livestock management. Internal and external parasites were an important cause of mortality in the young after weaning, all year round. Insufficient animal care was also at the root of mortality cases.