Indigenous livestock breeds

Nguni sheep: Indigenous small livestock

At the ADMA Indigenous Breeds Sale, besides the Mashona, Nkone and Tuli cattle - all indigenous Zimbabwean breeds known for their hardiness - there also were two breeds of sheep on exhibition in the new small livestock pens section.

The first breed were Dorpers, recognisable by their uniform black heads and white hides.

The other sheep, with their fat tails and their patterned hides a mixture of white and shades of brown, were Nguni sheep. These particular sheep on display are in the process of being registered with the Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB). This breed is indigenous to Zimbabwe and can be found thriving in some of the most remote, harshest and marginalised rural areas of the country.

Why were they at the ADMA indigenous breeds exhibition and sale? Zimbabwe has been subjected to erratic rainfall patterns and devastating droughts over the past two decades, with increased frequency and severity in recent years due to climate change.

Given this challenging scenario, more and more farmers are turning to adapted, resilient livestock and cropping systems that can withstand these harsh conditions.

The ADMA committee and the ZHB as event organisers recognise the value of these breeds as part of a sustainable farming programme and this event offers a unique platform for farmers to chat to the breeders and see firsthand how these animals can benefit their farming operations.

To explore the potential of these remarkable animals in greater detail, the following comprehensive article has kindly been shared with permission from Dr Doug Bruce and Vimbai Ruvengo.

The indigenous fat-tailed Nguni sheep breed

The indigenous sheep of Zimbabwe, presently occur in relatively small flocks, scattered throughout the semi arid (Regions 4 and 5) parts of Zimbabwe. The breed’s origin is not entirely known but has likely followed the Bantu tribe migrations over the Zambezi River many centuries ago. These sheep are hardy and agile. Besides their sometimes shaggy short haired coats, the sheep are distinguished by their large fat-tail reserves.

A touch of history  

As mentioned the breed’s origin is not entirely clear but they are similar to the indigenous African sheep found in Ethiopia and the Sahel pastural regions stretching across north Africa south of the Sahara desert. In the past these indigenous sheep were referred to as Sabi sheep as they were commonly found in the Save river valley. Those found in the Zambezi valley system are similar but appear to have longer and larger tails and they have been referred to as Nguni sheep.

Characteristics

• Horns - present or absent in males, if present they usually have only one twist and the females are usually polled.
• Ears - short and carried horizontally or slightly drooping; vestigial small “mouse” ears can occur and this is hereditary.
• Neck – has a high head carriage compared to exotic wool sheep with a well-developed brisket.
• Various colour variants are possible-white, tan, brown, black or red and are commonly speckled or have patches. The coat has short hair with very little wool so they do not require shearing.
• Fat tails-they have large fat tails and rumps similar to the Persian sheep of Biblical times and the Middle East area. The tails often extend below the hocks.

Because the breed often has a small frame and is poorly muscled, its use as a breed for commercial lamb and mutton, production has been limited. Due to its hardiness and being adapted to our hotter drier environments it can be used for crossbreeding with adapted exotic breeds such as the Dorper. These are often referred to as Meatmasters. In neighbouring South Africa indigenous breeds such as the Damara have been used to create the Meatmaster breed.

Advantages of the Nguni

• Fertile with excellent mothering abilities – ewes are protective of their young.
• Tolerant of external and internal parasites.
• Moderate sized frames with relatively low maintenance requirements.
• Do not need to be sheared
• Do not require a high level of management

The fat tail is an adaption trait serving as an energy reserve in times of drought and adverse conditions. This gives the Nguni a great advantage as the bulk of the agricultural landscape in Southern Africa is arid or semi-arid. Being able to adapt to arid environments, the sheep can markedly contribute to the livelihood of farmers in these areas.

The value of indigenous breeds in terms of adaptability and robustness can be used as a selling point for smallholder farmers. Good husbandry by these sheep farmers under a low-input system would allow them to market their products as organic or free range.

The Nguni Sheep Breeders Society

The awareness of the value of indigenous livestock breeds in Zimbabwe is gaining momentum in recent years with several institutions prioritising this matter with a mission to facilitate and promote the conservation of indigenous farm animal genetic resources.

With this in mind, the Nguni Sheep Breeders Society is in the process of being established with a mission to promote the breed. To this end a small breeding herd has been established at Art Farm, Pomona with foundation animals sourced from the Dande and Mushumbi Pools areas.

Art Farm Advanced Breeding Centre

The Advanced Breeding Centre, established in May 2022 by Bargrove Veterinary Group serves as base for Nguni sheep research. The team at the Centre are working on recording the performance of the breed under ideal conditions. These measurements include weights for age, longevity, fecundity, lamb survival,  age at first lambing, disease and parasite tolerance and resistance.

Indigenous breeds are often seen as poor performers but little is known of their performance traits and it is this that is hoped to be quantified at the Breeding Centre at ART

These Nguni sheep are far from inferior and are hardy and prolific under adverse conditions, producing admirably under the low maintenance conditions that are typically found in the marginal dryer areas of Zimbabwe.