In West African Sahel, there has been an only limited intensification of the mixed crop and livestock systems due to many constraints faced by smallholder farmers including climate change, low use of external inputs, insecure land tenure, and low adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. However, the growing demand for food caused by a rapidly growing population offers opportunities for intensification of farming systems in the region in view of the current low productivity. A study involving 400 households was carried out in two provinces (Seno and Yatenga) in Burkina Faso in the Sahelian zone of the country to characterize the intensification practices by smallholder farmers in mixed crop and livestock systems. Our results confirmed the advantage of intensification practices in terms of increased crop and livestock productivity which is critical to improving food security. Also, the results showed that access to extension services is an important determinant of adoption of intensification practices in both study sites, which reaffirmed the vital role of extension services in adoption of agricultural technologies. The results also showed strong differences in adoption of intensification practices between the two provinces driven by their divergent history of land use, even though both provinces fall in the same agro-ecological zone.

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This study focused on comparing growth traits (body weights at birth, 3-month weaning and 6-month post-weaning) as well as growth curves of Kalahari Red (KR), a newly introduced goat breed in Nigeria and West African Dwarf (WAD) goat semi-intensively managed. Data on growth traits and weekly live weights were collected from 124 kids consisting of 61 KR and 63 WAD goats. The data were subjected to least squares analysis of variance to evaluate the effects of breed, sex, season, birth type and parity. The results showed that KR kids exceeded WAD kids in body weights at birth (2.30±0.06 kg vs 1.56±0.06 kg), 3-month weaning (8.88±0.57 kg vs 3.88±0.20 kg) and 6-month post-weaning (13.97±0.86 kg vs 5.05±0.37 kg). Corresponding pre-weaning average daily gain (ADG) estimates were 84.44±2.44 g and 31.73±1.16 g and post-weaning ADG were 61.88±1.81g and 24.84±1.21 g. Growth patterns of the two breeds were described using four different non-linear models: Brody, Gompertz, Logistic and Von Bertalanffy. Models were compared using parameter estimates (asymptotic weight 'A', integration constant 'B' and rate of maturity 'k'). Model with good fit was adjudged using coefficient of determination (R2) and residual mean squares (RMS). The KR goats had higher parameter estimates than WAD goats. Von Bertalanffy model had the highest 'A' estimates (24.24±0.94 kg vs 11.99±0.54 kg for KR and WAD goats). Gompertz had highest 'B' and 'k' estimates (5.37±0.20 vs 3.38±0.09) and (0.19±0.01 vs 0.13±0.01) for KR and WAD goats. All four growth models generally had R2 exceeding 99% and low RMS, hence giving good fit to the observed growth data. They can be used to implement feeding and management decisions that will optimize productivity. Information on superior growth performance of the Kalahari Red goat can be utilized to further investigate genetic improvement of the indigenous West African Dwarf population through crossbreeding.     Cette étude s'est concentrée sur la comparaison des traits de croissance (poids corporel à la naissance, sevrage à 3 mois et 6 mois après le sevrage) ainsi que les courbes de croissance du Kalahari Red (KR), une race de chèvre nouvellement introduite au Nigéria et West AfricanDwarf (WAD) chèvre gérée de manière semi-intensive. Des données sur les traits de croissance et le poids vif hebdomadaire ont été collectées auprès de 124 chevreaux comprenant 61 chèvres KR et 63 chèvres WAD. Les données ont été soumises à une analyse des moindres carrés de la variance pour évaluer les effets de la race, du sexe, de la saison, du type de naissance et de la parité. Les résultats ont montré que les enfants KR dépassaient les enfants WAD en poids corporel à la naissance (2.30 ± 0.06 kg vs 1.56 ± 0.06 kg), au sevrage de 3 mois (8.88 ± 0.57 kg vs 3.88 ± 0.20 kg) et 6 mois après le sevrage (13.97 ± 0.86 kg contre 5.05 ± 0.37 kg). Les estimations correspondantes du gain quotidien moyen (ADG) présevrage étaient de 84.44 ± 2.44 g et 31.73 ± 1.16 g et l'ADG post-sevrage était de 61.88 ± 1.81 g et 24.84 ± 1.21 g. Les modèles de croissance des deux races ont été décrits à l'aide de quatre modèles non linéaires différents :Brody, Gompertz, Logistic et Von Bertalanffy. Les modèles ont été comparés à l'aide d'estimations de paramètres (poids asymptotique « A », constante d'intégration « B » et taux de maturité « k »). Le modèle avec un bon ajustement a été évalué en utilisant le coefficient de détermination (R2) et les carrés moyens résiduels (RMS). Les chèvres KR avaient des estimations de paramètres plus élevées que les chèvres WAD. Le modèle de Von Bertalanffy présentait les estimations « A » les plus élevées (24.24 ± 0.94 kg contre 11.99 ± 0.54 kg pour les chèvres KR et WAD). Gompertz avait les estimations « B » et « k » les plus élevées (5.37 ± 0.20 vs 3.38 ± 0.09) et (0.19 ± 0.01 vs 0.13 ± 0.01) pour les chèvres KR et WAD. Les quatre modèles de croissance avaient généralement un R2 supérieur à 99% et un RMS faible, ce qui correspondait bien aux données de croissance observées. Ils peuvent être utilisés pour mettre en œuvre des décisions d'alimentation et de gestion qui optimiseront la productivité. Les informations sur la performance de croissance supérieure de la chèvre rouge du Kalahari peuvent être utilisées pour étudier plus avant l'amélioration génétique de la population indigène de nains d'Afrique de l'Ouest par croisement.

A study was conducted for 22 weeks to determine the effects of concentrate supplementations at three crude protein (CP) levels, i.e. low protein diet-LPD 12.42% CP (124.93 g day); medium protein diet-MPD 14.18% CP (145.87 g day) and high protein diet-HPD 16.35% CP (168.19 g day) on some pregnancy variables, reproductive performance, birth types and weight of kids kidded by pregnant Kalahari Red goats grazed on Chloris gayana. Thirty-three matured Kalahari Red goats of first parity within age range of 2 to 2/ years with an average body weight of 38.10 ± 1.13 kg were randomly allotted to the diets with 11 goats per treatment. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance in a completely randomised design. It was observed that goats fed HPD had the highest (p < 0.05) values for products of pregnancy (10.35 kg) taken within 24hour before kidding and foetal growth rate (88.37 g day) during pregnancy. Goats fed MPD had the lowest values (p < 0.05) of 9.28 kg and 80.07 g day for each of the respective parameters. Afterbirth weight was also the highest and lowest (p < 0.05) for goats supplemented with HPD (3.38 kg) and MPD (3.04 kg), respectively. On the other hand, MPD-supplemented goats had the highest values (p < 0.05) for litter size (2.14) and litter weight (6.80 kg) at birth, the value which was the least for HPD supplementation. From the results obtained from this study, it could be concluded that concentrate diet supplementation with 14.18% CP improved litter size and weight at birth with resultant reduction in weights of pregnancy variables of pregnant Kalahari Red goats grazed on Rhodes grass.