About 35% of the total land area of Chad is given over to pastureland. In 2001 there were about 2.4 million sheep, 5.3 million goats, and six million head of cattle; more than 1.5 million cattle died during the 1984–85 drought. In 2001 there were about 725,000 camels, 364,000 asses, 205,000 horses, and five million chickens. Actual totals may have been considerably higher because herders are reluctant to declare the extent of their herds and flocks, because all full-grown animals are subject to taxation.
Live cattle, sheep, and goats are exported, with considerable smuggling, to Nigeria. Also important are exports of meat, hides, and skins. In 2001, about 119,000 tons of meat were produced. Livestock is Chad's second most important export, after cotton.