Small ruminant production in the humid tropical zone of southern Nigeria.

A study was made of village goat and sheep production systems in the humid tropical zone of south-west Nigeria. A summary of the herd and flock population dynamics is given followed by a discussion of the importance of goat and sheep production in southern Nigeria and suggestions for methods of improvement. The problems of livestock production in areas of endemic trypanosomiasis are discussed and it is concluded that, where cattle are excluded due to this disease and where human population pressure is high, goats and sheep have a continuing and increasing role to play in providing meat for the expanding human populations.