Abstract This study investigated the effects of dietary palm oil (PO) on growth performance and carcass composition of Heterobranchus longifilis with the goal of replacing dietary fish oil with palm oil. In this study triplicate groups of H. longifilis fingerlings were fed the experimental diets for 8 weeks. Five isonitrogenous (45% crude protein), isoenergetic (20 KJg-1) experimental diets were made containing either 6.0% FO and 0% PO, 4.5% FO and 1.5% PO; 3.0% FO and 3.0% PO; 1.5% FO and 4....
ABSTRACT Improvement of the domestic chicken has dominated efforts of indigenous breeders in recent times. Three hundred and fifty seven (357) Fulani ecotype chickens in Osun State were surveyed and assessed for their phenotypic and productive characteristics. Plumage pattern, thigh and shank colour, mature weight (kg), comb size, wattle size, breast length, breast width, leg length (all in cm); egg weight (gm) and clutch size were examined. Plumage pattern was more heterogeneous iI1 hens, w...
Abstract: A total of forty (40) growing rabbits with an average initial weight of 921.5g were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments containing 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% palm kernel cake as replacement for soyabean cake respectively. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (20% CP). The final live weights of the rabbits were higher in the control diet compared to those on palm kernel cake diets. With the exception of the rabbits placed on 40% level of palm kernel cake daily feed inta...
Abstract A study was conducted at the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Shika, Zaria, Nigeria to access some semen quality characteristics and to determine the effect of mating ratio on fertility and hatchability of Hubbard broiler breeders. 20 cocks were examined for semen quality characteristics. Parameters evaluated were: ejaculate volume, semen pH, sperm concentration and sperm motility. Sequel to semen quality evaluation, hens were divided into three groups according ...
ABSTRACT Fifteen days prior to parturition, studies was conducted using sixteen West African dwarf (WAD) ewes weighing between 22.80 and 26.03kg on a basal diet of Panicum maximum were allotted into 4 treatment groups A, B, C and D of 4 replicates each. The MSL replaced Wheat bran (WB) gravimetrically at 0, 15, 30 and 45%. Treatment A served as control, while animals in treatments B, C and D received Mexican sunflower leaf (MSL) at 15, 30 and 45% respectively. The experiment lasted for one we...
ABSTRACT Agricultural activities have been identified as the most common causes of land transformation. Such transformation results in changes in ecological features, such as weed flora succession. It is in view of this that a work is carried out to evaluate the effect of land clearing and tillage methods on weed incidence under maize - cassava intercropping system. The experiment was carried out at the International Board for Soil Research and Management experimental site, Epemakinde Nigeria...
Improvement of the domestic chicken has dominated the effort of indigenous breeders in Nigeria in recent times. Three hundred and fifty-seven (357) Fulani ecotype chickens were surveyed and assessed for their phenotypic and productive characteristics in Osun State, Nigeria. Mature weight (kg), comb size, wattle size, breast length, breast width, leg length (all in cm); egg weight (gm), clutch size were examined and classified. A higher level of variability was revealed in comb size, wattle si...
ABSTRACT Genotype sensitivity as a change in the relative performance of a genotype in the presence of two or more environments could be an important factor in the breeding of exotic birds in the tropics. Farm records covering 10 years (1999 - 2008) were employed to study the effect of seasons on genotype sensitivity and their usability for selection in the breeding of exotic Parent stock chickens of Bovan and ISA origins in South-West Nigeria. Cock weight, hen weight, Hen-day production, egg...
Abstract: Seasons play an important role in the performance of breeder chickens, but lack of adequate records on its specific effects in specific seasons could influence the efforts of breeders to improve on local ecotypes of chicken for standardization into breeds. This is why Nigeria still depends mainly on imported breeds of chicken for commercial production of chicken. In this study, the influence of Early Wet (EW), Late Wet (LW) and Early Dry (ED) and Late Dry (LD) seasons on reproductiv...
Abstract Interactive effects of strain, live weight and a non-genetic factor namely micro-environment on the live weight development of cane rats reared in captivity were investigated over a seven-month period. A total of seventy-nine (79) cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus) originating from three different sources (strains) and of four body weight categories were used for the study. The treatment design was 4x3 Factorial of Live-weightXStrain randomly assigned to 3 Houses (block) using RCBD,...
ABSTRACT This study was carried out to determine the level of contamination of commercial poultry feed, feed ingredients and faecal samples with multi-drug resistant Klebsiella species in Imo State, Nigeria. Samples were collected from broiler starter, broiler finisher, growers and layers feed types of three feed brands labelled TFB, VFB and GFB. Faecal samples from broilers, layers and local chicken were collected from randomly selected farms, open market and local chicken in each zone u...
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY All microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and their interactions with plants, and animals and humans has been recognized for centuries. Some of these interactions are beneficial to the host as in the case of biotransformation such as fermentation and the production of antibiotics. Penicillin, which is one the most famous antibiotics drugs in the world, derived from a common fungus known as Penicillium and it is used to control disease in human and animal population...
This study focused on determining the effect of white ginger root (Mondia whitei) on haematological indices and serum biochemistry of starter broiler chickens. A 28-day feeding trial was conducted using a total of One hundred and fifty Arbor Acre broiler chicken. The birds were divided into five dietary groups with three replicates of ten birds. The dietary groups were control (basal diet), Mondia whitei meal (MWM) + basal diet at graded levels of 1g/kg, 1.5g/kg, 2.0g/kg and 2.5g/kg. Blood sa...
The environment plays a major role in the profitability of any livestock enterprise. Therefore, understanding how each environmental factor affects the growth, welfare and reproduction of animals is very important. When the influence that each environmental factor has on the growth, welfare and reproduction is known, the livestock producer can provide solutions that will mitigate the negative effects of these environmental factors on his livestock. The positive influence of any environmental ...
A study was conducted to determine the influence of an aqueous solution of tamarind pulp on growth and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. One hundred and sixty, one week old broilers were divided into 4 treatment groups replicated 4 times in a completely randomized design. The control group was given 0g/L tamarind pulp (TP) while the other groups received 20g/L, 30g/L and 40g/L tamarind pulp in drinking wa...