Camels and goats are the most common animals kept. The men are responsible for herding the camels, as well as for hunting and trading. Women tend to the goats and till the soil, but most farm work is done by slaves. The Teda live in camps that consist of extended family members. The oldest man in the family has authority until his death.
Marriages involve the payment of a substantial bride-price, which consists of livestock.
Most Teda communities have only a few hundred inhabitants. The more settled groups who live in the villages are not there for the whole year. Generally, they live in round huts with stone or mud walls. The huts have cone-shaped thatch roofs supported by a central post. The nomadic Teda often live in rectangular or oval-shaped tents that have wooden frames and mats made of palm leaves or animal skins.