The present study aimed to characterize the dairy cattle farming systems in semi arid region in western Algeria. A typology of the farms was established following the description of livestock dairy farming practices and the assessment of their contribution to farm efficiency. The enquiry was conducted on 60 dairy farms during 2018-2019 agricultural campaign to determine structural, technical and economic parameters. The Results show a large diversity of farmer?s strategies, particularly in feeding and economic indicators. The statistical analysis has identified 3 groups of farms. The first group contains 12 farms produce average milk yield about 4120 kg and promote use of forages. The participation of concentrates in total dry matter ingestion (DMI) is about 45.3 %, the average costs of milk production is of 37.1 DA/ liter?0.52 ? and charge of food in total production costs in the order of 62.8 %. 32 dairy farms of second group are characterized by average milk yields 3240 kg and the contribution of concentrated foods represents 49.2 % of total DMI. The cost of liter of milk is about 42.7 DA?0.60 ? and food costs in order of 68.7 % of total production costs. The third group contains 16 dairy farms whose illustrates farms with a significant contribution of concentrates in the global feed balance (54.3 % of total DMI). These concentrated foods were poorly converted into milk as recorded yields are the lowest (2010 kg). Production costs of liter milk and the percentage price of food in total cost production were respectively highest (49.4 DA?0.69 ?) and (80.2 %). The results of this typology indicate the diversity of dairy farms systems in semi-arid region in North Africa, which must be taken to ensure the profitability and sustainability of farms identified. The socio-economic factors are behind the genesis of sample farms, the technical feeding and rationing and no diversification of forage calendar make clear the variations in groups of dairy husbandry. To guarantee sustainability development of typological groups, a specific measure, particularly in feeding management, will be applied for different livestock systems identified.

Sheep farming systems in the steppe of M'sila eastern Algeria play a key role in the red meat production chain. The aim of this contribution is to assess the sustainability of sheep farms in relation to the current functioning of the breeding and to describe the strong and weak points limiting improvement of productivity in a perspective of sustainability. The method of indicators of sustainability of farms (IDEA) was used to evaluate sustainability. The typological results allowed us to distinguish two main types of livestock farming, namely agro pastoral and pastoral, which have different sustainability profiles. The agro pastoral type is characterized by sustainability scores of 69.4/100, 43.6/100 and 36.4/100 respectively for agro ecological, socio-territorial and economic sustainability. The pastoral type shows the same trend with superiority in the economic scale. The comparison of the sustainability scales in relation to the type of livestock showed that the two livestock systems are significantly different for agro-ecological and socio-territorial scale (P<0.05) in contrast to the economic scale. Consequently, each type requires particular improvements, according to its functioning and the threshold of the scores realized at the level of the global sustainability in order to guarantee a profitability of the breeding at the level of the Algerian steppe region.

Water resources are becoming scarce and must be preserved. The significant use of water is linked to agriculture in general and to livestock in particular. Very little research in semi-arid regions has been devoted to assessing the contribution of ruminants to water scarcity. This contribution explores the relationships between dairy farming and the various water resources available in an ecosystem with climatic constraints. To meet future food demand while sustainably managing the available land and water resources, dairy farm systems in semi-arid regions must adapt in response to climate and socio-economic change. In this study, we focus on the south Mediterranean region to analyze the key factors influencing water productivity in dairy farming, especially in context characterized by water scarcity. In order to characterize the relationship between dairy cattle breeding and water resources, a monitoring of 40 dairy cattle stables has been carried out in a semi-arid region. The technical and economic parameters of each farm were evaluated: the use of water according to their origins to the production of fodder by source, the contribution of virtual water off the farm, the total fodder biomass, feeding system practiced on the farms and the performances achieved. Analysis of the data indicates that productivity of fodder in dry matter differ between the two systems with values of the order of 12520 to 17188 kg/ha (p<0.05) respectively for type extensive and intensive systems. The milk yield per cow did not exceed an average value of 3680 kg (rang 3240 to 4120 kg. The mean gross margin per kilogram of milk was low, not exceeding 0.13?. A significant effect (p<0.05) of the value of the water footprint between the two dairy farm systems with an average of around 2.05m3/kg of milk (range 1.96 to 2.15 respectively for intensive and extensive farms). The contribution of rainfall is estimated at 57% and the rest is represented by the participation of irrigation and virtual water with 18% and 25% respectively. Necessary actions must be taken along the milk production process in order to improve the productivity of water for forage production and the milk which depends in large part on annual rainfall and to a lesser extent on groundwater.

The data base for body weights and growths of 411 Hamra lambs were used to estimate genetic parameters. These lambs were obtained from 31 rams and 493 ewes between 2012 and 2017. Traits analysed were weights at birth (BW), 30 days (W30), 90 days (W90) of age, and average daily gains from 10 to 30 (ADG10-30) and30-90 (ADG30-90) days. REML estimates of variance and covariance components were obtained assuming animal models that included the fixed effects for year-type of birth (2012 single, 2012 twin, . ., 2017 single, 2017 twin), sex (male, female), and ewes age at lambing (< 18, 18-30, 30-42, 42-54, >54 months). Heritabilities were 0.12, 0.06 and 0.11 respectively for BW, W3Oand W90and the average daily gains were 0.05 and 0.17 for ADG0-30and ADG30-90. The estimates of genetic correlations showed no genetic antagonisms among the growth traits. The genetic correlations estimated were positive and medium to high, except those between ADG30-90 and ADG0-30 and between ADG30-90 and W30 which were slightly negative. Phenotypic correlations were positive and ranged from 0.12 to 0.85. They were high between adjacent weights and between ADG and their corresponding weights.