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Summary Birth weight, which is subject to differences in prenatal nutrition, increased with parities to the fifth among the subhumid zone (SH = 1.89 kg) dams and to the sixth among the humid zone (H = 1.71 kg) dams. Seasonal influence did not significantly affect birth weights in either zone. Litter type had the greatest influence on birth weight, growth rate, and viability at 60 days of age, among lambs in both zones. The dual advantage of higher birth weight of lambs and higher postpartum weight of their dams, with the benefit of the maternal effect that supported optimal postnatal development lambs, resulted in higher body‐weight gain at 60 days of age at sixth parity (H = 6.17 kg; SH = 6.99 kg). In both zones, viability was optimum at the fifth parity (H=95.0%; SH = 95.6%). For all weight traits, single lambs (H = 7.73 kg; SH = 8.48 kg) were significantly (p < 0.05) and consistently superior to twin lambs (H = 6.68 kg; SH = 7.31 kg) at the natural weaning age of 105 days. At birth, female lambs were 6.4% behind male lambs in their subsequent growth up to natural weaning, even when the birth weight of both sexes was similar. In both zones, the viability showed an upward trend, with an increase in percentage of lambs weaned up to the fifth parity (H = 80.0%; SH = 90.1%) and a rapid decline after the sixth parity. The postpartum weight and higher parity, together with the postnatal maternal effect of dams' performance on growth in the first 60 days, influenced lambs' weaning weight at 105 days. There was no significant seasonal pattern of growth. At 210 days of age, the influence of litter type started to diminish. Differences in body weight due to sex also became relatively less important at this age. The ewes which had gained rapidly in weight appeared heavily pregnant, and with full udder, at 210 days of age. These findings confirm the importance of the transient nature of growth between 90 and 105 days of age. The physiologically mature weight is reached at higher parity, between the fifth and sixth, antibody weights of 20.93 and 23.59 kg for the humid and subhumid zone ewes, respectively. The mean liveweight considered to be a measure of physiological maturity was attained between 3.5 and 4.0 years of age. Résumé Etudes sur la production ovine traditionnelle dans la région humide et sub‐humide d'Asante (Ghana). III. Relations entre le poids de naissance et le développement du poids du corps avant et après le sevrage Le poids de naissance était fonction de l'influence d'alimentation prénatale variante. Il augmentait jusqu'au point du cinquième agnelage dans la zone sub‐humide (1,89 kg) et du sixième agnelage dans la zone humide (1,71 kg) montrant une dépendance directe du poids des brebis. Dans les deux zones climatiques, on n'a observé aucune influence saisonnière significative par rapport au poids de naissance. Le type de la portée (c.‐à‐d. portée individuelle ou multiple) avait l'influence la plus grande quant au poids, au développement du poids et au taux de survie des agneaux jusqu'au soixantième jour. ...

This studies presented in this paper were undertaken on 42 households units in two ecological zones of four farming villages located in the heart of the Kumawu Traditional Area (KTA) in Asante. The traditional area is the largest (9256 km(2) ) of the 21 traditional areas or paramouncies comprising the Asante Region (24 390 km(2) ), one of the ten regions of Ghana. The headquarters are in the township of Kumawu, which is located 56 km north-east of Kumase, the capital of the Asante Region. A brief discription of physical conditions, the land tenure system and the current agricultural resources of the area are given. Detailed descriptions of the physical characteristics of sheep type, ownership pattern and management practices, as well as flock structure, are discussed. The availability of fodder plants and their seasonal cover are outlined. In all, the studies covered 700 dams with almost 1500 lambings over a period of 30 months. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Untersuchungen über traditionelle Schafproduktion in der Humiden und Sub-humiden Asanter Region Ghanas. I. Natürliche Standortbedingungen und Resourcenausstattung im Untersuchungsgebiet Die Untersuschungen wurden in zwei unterschiedlichen agro-ökologischen Zonen in 42 kleinbäuerlichen Haushalten von 4 Dörfern durchegeführt. Es handelt sich um das Kumawu-Gebiet (9256 km(2) ) der Asanteregion (24 390 km(2) ) 60 km nördostlich von Kumase, der Hauptstadt der Asante mit traditionell sehr starker Schafhaltung. In der 1. Mitteilung wird eine detaillierte Beschreibung der natürlichen Standortfaktoren, Landeigentumsverhältnisse und landwirtschaftlichen Resourcenaussttatung gegeben. In einer Untersuchung über 30 Monate an 700 Mutterschafen mit ca. 1500 Geburten werden zunächst Schafrassen, Management und Eigentumsverhältnisse sowie Herdenstrukturen analysiert. RÉSUMÉ: Analyse de la production ovine traditionnelle (Djallonké) dans la région humide et sub-humide d'Asante du Ghana. I. Conditions naturelles du milieu et disponibilité de ressources dans la région d'enquête Les enquêtes ont été effectuées dans deux zones agro-écologiques différentes, soit dans 42 petites exploitations agricoles faisant partie de quatre villages. Il s'agit du territoire traditionnel de Kumawu, territoire le plus vaste (9256 km(2) ) dans la région d'Asante (24 390 km(2) ), à 56 km nord-est de Kumase, la capitale d'Asante, òu on se dédie traditionnellement à l'élevage intensif des ovins. L'article donne une brève description des facteurs naturels du milieu, de la structure agraire et des ressources agricoles de la région. L'enquête, effectuée pendant 30 mois, sur 700 brébis et à peu près 1500 parturitions s'est dédié d'abord à l'analyse des races bovines, aux pratiques de gestion, aux structures de propriété et celles des troupeaux bovins. Les enquêtes suivantes ont étudié les techniques de production, la reproduction, la commercialisation et les aspects économiques en tant que base d'une intensification de la production.

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