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,...
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...
ABSTRACT A feeding trial was conducted with thirty (30) weaner rabbits with average weight of 355.00g of mixed breed (New Zealand X American Chinchilla) and mixed sexes to investigate the nutritive potentials of maize cob meal (MCM). Thirty mixed breed rabbits were used and randomly assigned to treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 in which MCM replaced maize at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% weight for weight respectively at the rate of six (6) rabbits per dietary treatment. Results of preliminary (analytic...
Dry season effects on the biomass yield and nutritive quality of Andropogon tectorum in the natural pastures in Abeokuta, Nigeria Introduction A. tectorum is among the noticeable grass species in the natural pastures of the South-western Nigeria. An understanding of cutting management to find out the best agronomic practices for improving the yield and nutritive value of this grass species, especially in the dry season formed the focus of this research work. The o...
ABSTRACT Eight weeks feeding trial was conducted to investigate the chemical composition, growth response, apparent nutrient digestibility, gut characteristics and morphology of broiler chickens fed four diets containing ethanol-treated castor oil seed meal (ECAM). Two hundred day-old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were then allotted to the four experimental diets containing ECAM at 0, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg, respectively. Each treatment was replicated five times with 10 birds per replicate. The fin...