Livestock rearing is one of the most important economic activities in the Sahel. The most economically important animals in the Sahel are cows, sheep, goats, camels and chickens. Cows are generally more exposed to droughts than other animals. Goats and camels are the most resistant animals to drought as these animals are browsers (can graze on trees). In the Sahel, one can distinguish two types of livestock breeding: sedentary livestock systems and transhumance livestock systems. Conflicts sometimes arise between these groups concerning the use of grazing lands and wells.  

In the Sahel, animals may be considered as a bank and most farmers who can afford it buy animals. It is difficult to improve the management of pasturelands in the Sahel as rainfall varies considerably from one year to another. For this reason it is difficult to determine an optimal number of livestock in the Sahel. 

The weight of animals varies considerably in the course of a year; in general, animals gain weight during the rainy season and lose it during the dry season. This is due to the poor availability and poor quality of fodder during the dry season. The effect of this variation in fodder quantity and quality is that the growth rate of animals is low and the speed of reproduction is low. 

Several methods may be used to improve the availability and quality of fodder such as production of fodder plants, the treatment of straw with urea, and the provision of animals with multi-nutritional blocks.

Fodder production

Treatment of straw with urea and phosphorous supplement

Fattening

Poultry production

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