Sheep have multiple roles in the livelihood of resource poor farmers as source of income, meat, skin, manure, strong wool or long hairy fleece, and as buffer resources during crop failures. These important services and products of the sheep production sub-sector justify comprehensive look into the way sheep are marketed, as the services and products are the quality attributes that characterize sheep as such. Nonetheless, very few studies have been conducted so far to identify the determinants of indigenous sheep prices and performance of the marketing system.

Evaluates the productivity of grade Boran cattle maintained by chemoprophylaxis under severe trypanosomiasis risk at Mkwaja ranch, Tanzania; uses data based on more than 20,000 calving records over the 10-year period from 1973 to 1982; discusses environmental influences on performance traits and links between tsetse population dynamics & cattle; includes comparison of Boran genotypes and its effect on pre-weaning growth characters.

Evaluates the productivity of transhumant Fulani cattle in the inner Niger delta of Mali. Summarises the results of the animal productivity study extending from December 1978 - March 1983, which indicated high calf mortality, low reproductive performance and moderate milk production. Identifies constraints limiting the productivity of Sudanese Fulani cattle and suggests interventions aimed at eliminating or ameliorating these constraints

This study has undertaken to describe the sheep and goat production and marketing systems and identify constraints to and improvement options for smallholder farms of Alaba, southern Ethiopia. Results are based on survey of 150 sample households and rapid appraisal of major sheep and goat markets. Flock distribution and holdings in different parts of the woreda vary and thus the study sites were stratified into mixed sheep-goat flock, goat dominating and sheep dominating sites. Average family size of the study area was 6.7. Literacy of household heads accounts 30%.

The study was conducted in Goma district of Jimma Zone of Ethiopia with objectives of generating baseline information and identifying challenges and opportunities of small ruminant production and marketing. Results are based on diagnostic survey of 160 sample households, group discussions, monitoring of 36 flocks and rapid appraisal of major sheep and goat markets. The study district was stratified into three groups based on flock distribution as: sheep dominating, goat dominating and mixed flock sites. The average land holding per household was 1.93 ha.