Research Papers/Topics in Animal Science

COMMERCIAL FEED AVAILABILITY AS A FACTOR IN POULTRY (CHICKEN) PRODUCTION IN SEKYERE WEST DISTRICT, ASHANTI REGION, GHANA

ABSTRACT Commercial feed availability is essential in areas where poultry (chicken) farmers practice intensive production. A study was thus undertaken in the Sekyere West District (SWD) of Ashanti Region to determine the availability of commercial feed as a factor in chicken production. The study also assessed patronage of Agricare feed in Mampong, SWD, covering a period of 3 years (2004-2006). A census survey, involving 62 active chicken farmers and the feed supply agent in the district, was...

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOME PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF COBB AND ROSS BROILER STRAINS FED RATIONS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF PALM KERNEL OIL RESIDUE (PKOR)

Abstract A  comparative  study  was  conducted  on  some  performance characteristics with 225 each of Cobb 500 and Ross 308 broiler chickens fed three rations in which PKOR replaced wheat bran at 0% (control), 10% and 20% levels. There were 6 treatments (of 75 birds each) and 3 replicates (of 25 birds  each),  in  a  completely  randomized  designed 2x3  factorial  experiment. The trial used 3-week old broiler chicks over a 5 week period. The effects of genotype,  ratio...

EFFECT OF EGG SIZE AND DAY LENGTH ON REPRODUCTIVE AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE, EGG CHARACTERISTICS AND BLOOD PROFILE OF THE GUINEA FOWL (Numida meleagris)

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the influence of egg size and day length on reproductive and growth performance, egg characteristics and blood profile of indigenous guinea fowls in Ghana. The study was carried out for a period of ten (10) months. Two hundred and forty day-old keets hatched from three different egg size groups (treatments): small (23-39g); medium (40-42g) and large (43-49g) were used in the experiment. The birds were subjected to artificial light between 6 to...

Effect of dietary palm oil on growth and carcass composition of Heterobranchus longifilis fingerlings

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....

Some Phenotypic Characteristics of the Fulani Ecotype Chicken in three Selected Local Government Areas of Osun State, Nigeria

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...

Effects of Graded Levels of Palm-Kernel Cake on Performance of Grower Rabbits

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...

Semen Quality Characteristics and Effect of Mating Ratio on Reproductive Performance of Hubbard Broiler Breeders

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 ...

Nutrient digestibility of pregnant WAD ewe fed Mexican sunflower leaf meal (MSLM) based diets

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...

Effect of land clearing and tillage methods on reduced weed incidence and growth and yield of maize-cassava intercrop

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...

Variability and predictability of productive and body traits of Fulani ecotype chicken

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...

Application of genotype sensitivity to selection between two exotic strains of chickens in humid tropical environment

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...

Effect of Seasons on the Reproductive Performance of Bovan Nera and Isa Brown Parent-stock Chickens in a Hot Humid Environment

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...

Effects of strain, live weight and micro-environment on body weight development of cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) in the humid tropics

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,...

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistant Klebsiella Species in Poultry Feeds, Feed Ingredients and Fecal Samples in Imo State, Nigeria

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...

Sustainable Means of Combating Mycotoxins in Grains Used for Livestock

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...


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