Abstract: Using black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) larvae as a novel protein source substituting fishmeal (FM) in animal feeds is globally gaining momentum. BSF can be reared on agro-industrial residues. However, incorporating BSF larval meal (BSFLM) into finisher pig diets has received inadequate attention. This study evaluated the effects of replacing dietary FM with BSFLM on growth, carcass traits and meat quality of finisher pigs. A control diet (including FM: 0% BSFLM) was compa...
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of broiler chickens fed on 3 black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens) and Greenleaf desmodium (Desmodium intortum)-based meals. We evaluated growth performance, carcass quality, and profitability under various commercial pathways (doorstep, retail, whole, and assorted). Desmodium and BSFL powders were formulated into 3 ratios: T1 25:75, T2 50:50, and T3 75:25. A commercial feed was used as a control. One hundred and twenty mix...
Abstract A 63 day experiment was conducted to determine the effect of varying dietary levels of cocoa bean meal (CBM) on the body growth, gonadal development, and blood lipid profile of Clarias gariepinus catfish. Four hundred C. gariepinus post-fingerlings were randomly assigned to five treatments with eighty fish per treatment. Each treatment was replicated four times with 20 fish per replicate in a randomized completely block design (RCBD) with sex as a block. Diets (35% crude protein) co...
ABSTRACT Eighty day-old broiler chicks were used for feeding trial carried out to determine the effect of graded levels of Rice Milling Waste (RMW) and Bioactive Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae) which has been shown to secrete enzymes that help to digest crude fiber and organic matter. This suggest that supplementing broiler ration with bioactive yeast may improve the digestibility and efficiency of utilization of RMW. The 80 broiler chicks used in this study were randomly distributed in five...
This study aimed at characterizing the WASH cattle and their crosses reared semi-intensively in the Tolon District of Northern Ghana. The age, colour and twelve (12) different biometric traits were measured on 125 cattle and subjected to Chi- square and principal component factor analysis. WASH cattle were characterized by five different colour patterns; black, white, brown, fawn and black and white. The paired coloured pattern (black and white) was the most observed among the cattle. G...
The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly impacted various industries worldwide, particularly livestock. The study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livestock production in Sierra Leone's Koinadugu area. The data was gathered from 162 livestock farmers in six chiefdoms of the Koinadugu District. Quantitative data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, while qualitative data was collected via personal observations, desk research, a...
Abstract: Evaluation of the biosecurity of layer farms is essential for successfully controlling and preventing poultry diseases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the biosecurity of layer farms in Sierra Leone using the Biocheck. UGent scoring system. This online biosecurity evaluation tool assesses the farm's biosecurity compliance. The data was collected from 38 layer farms in four provinces and one area in the country. The data were encoded online to provide ratings for each farm...
Climate change is having a negative influence on agriculture and livestock production systems. This study aims to assess livestock farmers’ perceptions and adaptive responses to climate change in the Koinadugu area of northern Sierra Leone. A sample of 126 livestock farmers was selected from four chiefdoms. The data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and meteorological time series data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 and excel were used to ...
The poultry industry worldwide suffers significantly due to climate change, which may affect the chicken protein source. The study examined backyard poultry farmers' awareness, perceptions, and responses to climate change in Tonkolili, Sierra Leone. Data were collected from 232 backyard poultry farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 Software. According to the respondents' socioeconomic profiles, the majority of farmers (53.4%) were between the ag...
The poultry industry globally provides chicken meat and eggs, the most significant protein sources among animal foods. The industry is grappling with the effect of climate change which causes heat stress and harms the performance and welfare of the chicken. Heat stress has been the most significant environmental stress challenging the global poultry industry, as chickens only tolerate a narrow range of temperatures during heat stress. This review aims to assess the impact of heat stress on ch...
Slaughterhouse workers are more susceptible to zoonotic disease infections from cuts and bloodletting, spreading blood-borne pathogens to societies. Adopting biosecurity measures by slaughterhouse workers in their daily tasks can lower the risk of spreading zoonotic diseases while improving food safety. This study aims to examine slaughterhouse workers' awareness of biosecurity, their perception of the efficiency of biosecurity measures in reducing zoonotic infections, and, most crucially, th...
ABSTRACT A lot of attention has been paid to the study of Insulin-like Growth factor 1 (IGF1) due to its function in stimulating systemic body growth and regulating cell growth and development. A bioinformatics study was carried out to investigate the Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 gene of turkey, chicken and quail. A total of 15 insulin-like growth factor 1 nucleotide sequence and their corresponding protein were obtained from the Genebank (a public domain protein database) and were analyzed...
ABSTRACT The growth and haematological response of growing rabbits to diets containing graded levels of sun dried bovine rumen content (SBRC) were studied. Five diets containing 0 (control), 10, 20, 30 and 40 % sun dried bovine rumen content coded as T1,T2,T3,T4 and T5, respectively, were compared. Twenty growing rabbits were randomly assigned to the treatments; each treatment had four experimental units. The rabbits were fed and watered ad libitum. The parameters measured were feed consump...
ABSTRACTS Genetic diversity and genetic distance of five populations of the Nigerian breeds of goat were investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA markers. Five breeds of goat were used for the study and each breed constituted a population, hence, the five populations considered in the study. The populations were: Sokoto Red (SR), Sahel (SH), Kano Brown (KB), Bornu White (BW) and West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. The experiment was conducted within four geographical zones of Nigeria: ...
ABSTRACT Two hundred and forty 14-day old broiler birds were used in a study conducted to investigate the physiological response of boiler birds to oral supplementation with aloe vera gel and neem leaf extracts. In experiment one, one hundred and twenty 14- day old broilers were used to assess the physiological response of the broiler birds to oral supplementation with alovera gel extract, while in experiment two, one hundred and twenty 14- day old broilers were used to assess the physiologic...