Goat breeding in the rural district of Chemini (Algeria)

The Kabyle goat breed represents 10.52% of the total Algerian market (3.8 million heads). A survey of 69 farmers has been carried out in order to characterize it and its breeding in the District of Chemini. The questions focused on household agricultural activities, including breeding of goats, cattle, sheep, rabbits, chicken, turkeys, honeybees and the production of olive oil and figs. The goat morpho-biometric characterization was based on 18 corporal measurements. The Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) of the farm structures defined four groups of farms, variance between groups accounting for 55.7% of total variability. The average number of goats in groups 1 to 4 was 7.2±2.8, 11.1±3.5, 22.3±1.4 and 3.4±1.0, respectively. Group 3 (n=6), showed the greatest number; it consists of older farmers (67 years old or over) not practicing arboriculture. They also have the largest numbers of sheep (48.67), rabbits (50.83), chicken (48.33) and turkeys (42). Group 4 (n=9), with the lowest number of goats, was the group of young farmers (39 years old or less), more dedicated to cattle breeding (~52 heads) and the production of olive oil (~207 trees) and figs (~47 trees). The 18 morpho-biometric variables were significantly higher in males than in females (p<0.05). The Kabyle goat is small (male: 68.23±0.97cm and female: 65.41±0.55cm) with long hair (male: 12.24±0.51cm, and female: 9.51±0.29cm). Its ears are drooping, its convex profile has a slightly pronounced nasal split and its dress color ranges from dark brown to black. This adapted genetic resource should be key in the development of a local production, based on a strong commitment of farmers inside a breed association, for the production of specimens corresponding to a standard, to be determined collectively.