May 2017

History, status and use of equines in the West African Republic of Gambia

Gambia is the smallest country on the African mainland and is one of the poorest. Agriculture contributes about 23.6% of the national Gross Domestic Product, mainly from crop production.  Cattle are the most important livestock species and oxen originally provided most of the draught power. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, horses were traded by the Portuguese with local inhabitants for slaves and then used...

Author(s): R. Trevor Wilson

May 2017

Improving live body weight gain of local sheep through crossbreeding with high yielding exotic Dorper sheep under smallholder farmers

The study was conducted in Hawzen and Hintalowagerat districts of Tigray region Northern Ethiopia with the objective of enhancing meat production performance of the local sheep through cross breeding with high yielding exotic Dorper sheep under smallholder farmers. Pure male Dorper mated with local sheep produced first and second generation with 50 and 25% blood level of Dorper, respectively. Farmer’s research...

Author(s): Weldeyesus Gebreyowhens,, Mengistu Regesa and Awet Esifanos