Fortunately, at least ILRI a member of the CGIAR consortium backed by the United Nations is clearly mentioning as Djallonké being the main name of the breed and not a group. International Djallonké Sheep Specialist Group, Elongated head with small short pendulous ears. Similar numbers can be found in Benin, Cameroon and Guinea. Ewes height at the withers up to 40/50 cm. Ewes are usually polled (hornless), but may have slender short horns. Balami is most predominant in the North eastern part of Nigeria. See, The chestnut-colored drawing is not prevalent in the, Very similar to the Djallonké sheep is the larger. Copyright © 2019 AOBA org. As a result, limited new blood and poor inbreeding have caused extreme downsizing of the sheep. Rams weigh approximately 37 kg (82 lb), have a well-developed throat ruff and are usually horned. As the name suggests, the West African Dwarf sheep is a smaller sized breed of domestic sheep. The breed appears to thrive in hot, dry environment and suffers from poor survival outside this ecological zone; it is particularly adapted to extensive grazing and is renowned for its trekking abilities. The indigenous sheep of Nigeria. The West African Dwarf is generally white or piebald, the front half being black and the back half white. They are about the same size and confirmation as the Pelibuey sheep. The front half is black and the back half is white. The breed is considered to be tolerant to trypanosomiasis. They often have some shade of tan to brown. The neck is long and slender, the chest is deep, the legs are short, the back is long and dished, higher at the withers than at the tail-head, and the tail reaches the hocks. Coat colour contributes to physiological adaptation in mammals and mediates response to thermal stress. In Ivory Coast, for example, there are more than 1200000 Djallonké sheep. Rams height at the withers up to 50/60 cm. The opposite is happening in zoos where because of the misnomers and the erroneous breed recognition of zoos, the international zoo population is small. The coat colour varies from all white, all black or brown to spotted black or brown on a white coat. During the colonial era, German and French rulers exported sheep to France and Germany. It is a large and long-lopped breed with a convex facial profile. The orange signifies the fertile land of the north, the white means peace and the green means the lush greenery of the southern part of the country. It is sad to see how naming in Africa is still determined by the West. Both rams and ewes are generally polled, and the rams are sometimes maned. The West African dwarf sheep is widely distributed in the southern Nigeria, the breed is small compact hardy breed with a wide range of coat colours which may be all white, black or brown or spotted black or brown on a white coat. However, skewbald (tan on white) and the black belly pattern are found, and the Kirdi type are specially selected to be entirely black. The Africana sheep are smaller to medium sized animals. The males have horns while the females are hornless. And also in Togo there are more than 500000. There are four main breeds of sheep in Nigeria. The Yankasa breed is widely distributed in the northern part of Nigeria. The extreme dwarf forms in some zoos contrast strongly with the dwarf sheep in Africa. Prefference 25kg. All rights reserved. Bucks should have a well-developed throat ruff (mane) on the neck and chest. The skin/coat color varies from all black, all white or brown to spotted brown or black on white skin or coat. The yearling weight is 35 – 40kg for ewes and 45 – 60kg for rams. JavaScript is disabled for your browser. The breed is considered to be tolerant to Trypanosomiasis. Although, blackbelly pattern and tan on white variety are also found. Its a dwarf sheep, not a medium size sheep.) Bucks should have sickle horns (polled bucks are accepted but not preffered). This is incorrect. Some of the ewes have tassels on the neck. Some features of this site may not work without it. Blackbelly pattern Kirdi or Poulfouli (wholly black), a color type bred mainly in northern Cameroon and southwestern Chad. The west African dwarf sheep is widely distributed in the southern Nigeria, the breed is small compact hardy breed with a wide range of coat-colour which may be all white, black or brown or spotted black or brown on a white coat. It has a dewlap-like fold of skin with white mane. And unfortunately this does not only apply to Livestock. World Review of Animal Production 15(3): 51-62. This is partly due to the misnomer in Europe and America. They are mainly brown in color, ranging in shade from tan to brown and cherry-red to dark red. The horns are wide at the base, curve backwards, outwards and then forwards again, with a maximum of one and a half coils. This breed referred to as dwarf because it is small and has short legs. On this page you will find the most relevant information concerning the. Mature weights range from 35 - 45kg for ewes and 45 – 55kg for rams. Mature weights are 25 – 40 kg for ewes and 35 – 50 kg for rams. The coat colour is entirely brown or black from the forehead anterior to the limber-abdominal girth line and white posterior. In size it is intermediate between Uda and the west African Dwarf sheep. West African Dwarf (WAD) Sheep West African Dwarf is the sheep breed found in the South and South-Western part of Nigeria. 1979. Within this wide geographical zone are variation in type. The west African dwarf sheep is widely distributed in the southern Nigeria, the breed is small compact hardy breed with a wide range of coat-colour which may be all white, black or brown or spotted black or brown on a white coat. The 3 colors stand vertically with the orange and green at the edge. And Cameroon or Cameroon dwarf sheep as a synonym. AFRICAN ORNAMENTAL BREEDERS ASSOCIATION is a "project" sponsored by the JEAN KIALA FOUNDATION in the DRC and AFRICAN WILDLIFE PROTECTION FUND KENYA (AWPF-Kenya) in Kenya. Uda breed occurs throughout the Sahelo-sudan vegetation zone of Nigeria. It is small and short-legged. Ewes weigh about 20-25 kg (55 lb) (Up to 30 kg is accepted, but not preffered. The coat colour of Yankasa is typically white with black patches around the eyes, ear, muzzle and sometimes the feet. The Balami is a predominantly white and hairy breed with a pronounced convex heat and a dull depression. The ears are long large and pendulous. The rams have curved horns and heavy hairy white mane. The rams have large wide and spiral horns, which are usually absent in the ewes. A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs. It is often claimed by international zoos and private breeders that this is a rare breed with less than 1000 heads left. Prefference 20kg. and Ngere, L.O. The tail is long. The breed is one of the most popular and widely distributed sheep breed in Africa. The flag has three colors namely orange, white and green. Twenty-four adult West African Dwarf sheep of both sexes and with different coat colour types were used in this study. And the AOBA herd located in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo totals 5000 sheep. Mature weights are 20 – 25kg for ewes and 25 – 30 kg for rams. West African Dwarf Sheep: The breed is found in the whole area south of Latitude 14°N. The ear is large and droopy. It is usually white or piebald. Adu, I.F. AWPF-Kenya with OP.218/051/14-0332/9762 is legally responsible. The breeds are Balami, Uda, west African Dwarf sheep and Yankasa. The Balami is fast growing and attains a weaning weight of 18 kg in 12 weeks. Depending on the region and the tribes that keep them, certain color types are preferred. The correct name for the "Cameroon sheep" or "West African Dwarf sheep" is "Djallonké" (in the Fulani language). Colonial fieldwork is still indiscriminately adopted in academic literature without even considering the proper indigenous designation. Horns are prominent in rams and are usually absent in ewes. The breed is considered to be tolerant to trypanosomiasis. Rams weigh approximately 25-30 kg (82 lb) (Up to 35 kg is accepted, but not preffered. Its a dwarf sheep, not a medium size sheep.)