This work describes a morphometric and reproductive study conducted on male and female N'Dama cattle in Congo. The study was concentrated on a herd having an average live weight of 255.1 ± 19.8 kg and 249.7 ± 26.4 kg respectively for male and female animals at 3 years of age. The regular coat is fawn with black legs. Some animals are piebald with occasional white patches and brown sprays.
Some average body measurements were evaluated: the wither height (115.3 ± 1.1 cm and 111.8 ± 0.9 cm), the length of the body from point of shoulder to point of buttock (143.7 ± 3.1 cm and 140.8 ± 3.2 cm) and the heart girth (158.2 ± 4.2 cm and 144.4 ± 1.3 cm) respectively for male and female animals.
When considering puberty as the age of first oestrus, by the overall behavioural criteria, the age of puberty fluctuated around 458 ± 26 days with a weight of 168 ± 18 kg. When considering puberty as the moment where a cycle similar to that of an adult ready to be fertilized is established, the results were different: the age of puberty became 779 ± 119 days with a weight of 182 ± 16 kg.
The N'Dama heifers born in the rainy season are more precocious (461.2 ± 33 days) with a weight of 184.6 ± 21 kg, against 767 ± 22 days and 191.8 ± 21 kg during the dry season. The number of calves born from a breeding dam was 0.8.
In our study, sire puberty was reached between 16 and 20 months, for a weight of 151.8 ± 16 kg. A positive correlation (r = 0.49 ± 0.1) was obtained between scrotal circumference and puberty weight.