Critères de sélection des bovines laitiers par les éleveurs autour de Niamey au Niger

164 dairy cattle farmers of the Communauté Urbaine of Niamey (Niger) were inquired to identified the selection criteria adopted for cattle husbandry which could be considered in the context of the study. Farmers interviewees mainly males (57%) and uneducated (81.1%) generally belonged from ethnos groups of Fulani (56.1%) and Zarma (34.8%). The study considered 1,635 Zebu cattle, mostly milking cows (26.5%) and calves (28.8%). Concerning to the choice at cattle purchase, the first choice was for cows (41%), followed by heifers (33.5%) and males (23.9%). The breed was the most important selection criteria: the favorite breed was the Djelli (66.4%), followed by the Azawak (12.2%) and the Bororo (5.3%). Instead the farmers identified other secondary criteria: the coat (50.6%), the health status of the animals (8.5%), the udder (34.8%), the testicles (2.4%) and the horns (2.4%).