West African Goat Breeds: Red Sokoto, Sahel and Dwarf Goats

The main West African goat breeds are the Red Sokoto (also called Maradi), the Sahel goat and the West African Dwarf. Red Sokoto is a medium-sized, deep red goat from northern Nigeria and Niger, famous for its high-quality skin and good fertility. Sahel goats are tall pastoral goats of the dry north, and West African Dwarf goats are small, hardy goats of the humid south.

Goats are the most widely kept livestock in many West African households, from Kano to Maradi, Bamako and Kaolack. They need little capital, reproduce quickly and can be sold whenever cash is needed. Choosing the right breed for your area, and managing it well, is what separates a few village goats from a profitable small business.

The three main groups at a glance

West Africa has many local goat types, but most fall into three broad groups adapted to different climates.

All weights above are approximate and depend strongly on feeding and management.

Red Sokoto (Maradi): the red goat of the Sahel

The Red Sokoto is probably the best-known goat of West Africa. It is called Red Sokoto in Nigeria, after the Sokoto region, and "chèvre rousse de Maradi" in Niger, after the Maradi region. Kano Brown is a related type.

Key characteristics:

• Colour: a uniform deep red to reddish-brown coat, short and shiny.
• Skin: its skin is famous for fine grain and strength, and has long been traded for quality leather. Good skin adds value at sale if animals are handled without injuries and parasites.
• Fertility: does are generally fertile, and twins are common in well-fed herds. Kidding can happen through much of the year.
• Adaptation: well suited to the semi-arid zone, with moderate tolerance of heat and seasonal feed shortages.
• Meat: a popular meat goat in local markets, though smaller than improved breeds like the Boer.

Gestation is about 150 days (145–155). Many households keep Red Sokoto goats in small herds around the compound, with grazing by day and housing at night.

Sahel goats and West African Dwarf goats

Sahel goats

Sahel goats are the long-legged goats of the dry north, kept by Fulani, Tuareg, Moor and other pastoralists. They walk long distances with the herd, browse shrubs and trees, and cope with long dry seasons. Their coat colour varies, with white and spotted animals common. They are larger than Red Sokoto goats on average and provide both meat and milk for the family. Some local names include Borno White in Nigeria and the Sahelian goat of Mali and Senegal.

West African Dwarf goats

The West African Dwarf (WAD), also called Djallonké goat in some francophone areas, lives in the humid and sub-humid south, from Senegal's Casamance to southern Nigeria and Cameroon. It is small and compact, with short legs. Its big advantage is hardiness in a humid environment: it is known to tolerate trypanosomosis (sleeping sickness carried by tsetse flies) better than larger northern breeds. WAD does are prolific, breed through the year and, in good conditions, can kid at short intervals, often with twins.

Moving tall Sahel goats into the humid tsetse zone, or WAD goats into the dry north, usually gives poor results. Start with the breed that already thrives in your area.

Improving local goats: selection and crossbreeding

Many farmers ask whether to bring in Boer bucks to make local goats heavier. Crossbreeding can work, but only with care. Read our Boer goat guide before deciding. In short:

• Selection within the local breed is often the safest first step. Keep the does that kid regularly, raise twins and stay in good condition, and sell those that repeatedly fail.
• Choose the best local buck you can find and replace him before his daughters reach breeding age.
• If you cross with Boer, use the buck on well-grown local does, provide extra feed to the crossbred kids, and plan parasite control. Small WAD does are at risk of difficult births with large crossbred kids.
• Keep records of every kidding and weight, so you can compare pure local kids with crossbred kids in your own conditions.

For a full farm plan with costs and income, see our goat farming business plan for Africa.

Managing West African goats for profit

Whatever the breed, the main causes of loss are the same: kid deaths, internal parasites, diseases such as PPR, poor dry-season feeding, and selling at the wrong time.

Practical steps:

1. Housing: a dry, raised or well-drained shelter at night protects against rain, pneumonia and theft.
2. Dry-season feed: store crop residues, groundnut and cowpea haulms, and browse to keep does in condition before kidding.
3. Health: vaccinate against PPR and other local diseases according to your vet's or veterinary services' schedule, and deworm based on signs and advice.
4. Kid care: make sure every kid suckles colostrum in the first hours, and keep kids out of cold, wet pens.
5. Sell at the right moment: demand rises before Tabaski, Christmas and other festivals; plan kidding and fattening around these dates.
6. Know each animal: number and colour tags make it easy to follow each doe's kidding and each kid's growth.

With Throf, even a small herd can be recorded on the phone: each goat's number and colour tag, breed (Red Sokoto, Sahel, WAD or cross), mother, father, kidding, weights and treatments. The app sends vaccination and treatment reminders, and expenses and sales show your real profit per head, which helps when you decide which does to keep and when to sell.