Ownership pattern and management practices of cattle herds in the Gambia: implications for a breeding programme

A questionnaire and a census were carried out in 1998/99 on 201 cattle herds in 44 villages located in three different areas of The Gambia, in order to obtain information about the ownership pattern, management and breeding practices for optimizing and extending a pure breeding scheme for indigenous N'Dama cattle. The herds had an average of 58.5 head, of which 39.3% were cows, and most of them were multiowner herds, having on average 5.5 owners. Overall, women represented 38.3% of the owners, but they owned only 15.9% of the cattle. Some of the senior herdsmen received no payment, as they were family members, but most of them received payment in kind, i.e. milk off-take from the herd. Payment in cash only or cash as well as milk was rare. In larger herds it was quite common for additional herdsmen to be hired throughout the year, their payment shifting towards cash only or cash and milk. Many small herds had no older bulls or breeding bull and almost all breeding bulls were born within the herd. In most cases, it was the herd owner who was responsible for the selection of the breeding bull. Traits related to the growth and milk production of the dam were considered as most important for a good breeding bull. The results are discussed with respect to the extension of a pure breeding scheme for N'Dama cattle.