ABSTRACT To have higher profits and sustained production of livestock it is important to understand the biomass accumulation and growth rate of the forages the animals feed on. This project work looked into the growth and biomass accumulation of forage maize (Zea mays), forage millet (Echinochloa uti/is), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpereum) and garnba grass (Andropogon gayanus). The experiment was conducted at a location within Federal University Oye-Ekit, Ekiti State, Nigeria with Latitu...
ABSTRACT Reduction of protein malnutrition in many areas requires evaluation of simple, affordable, cheap but effective processing and preservation methods that ensure protein requirements are met. There is increase in the consumption of meat in the modern world. There is need to process raw meat to other forms to serve as alternatives to the consumers. The study is aimed at checking the acceptability of the processed meat product alternatives to boiled meat within the community.This paper ...
Abstract This study was conducted to determine the effect of doe reproductive performance of local and exotic dam in regards to their reproductive characteristics such as conception rate, pregnancy rate, kindling rate and litter size in a tropical environment. The study shows the interaction between reproductive performance and dam breed, parity, teat number, and fur score. A total of twenty (20) matured does and five (5) matured bucks were used for the experiment. The does were either local...
ABSTRACT This study was carried out on genetic evaluation of the Nigerian Forest (Yoruba)ecotype chicken in three local government of Ekiti State, Nigeria, based on some phenotypic traits and performance traits. A total of Two Hundred (200) of Cocks and Hens, with more of Hens than Cocks, of mature native, forest ecotype chickens were randomly sampled from the study area. The study covered nine (9) settlements (Asin, Ootunja, lgbona, Ilumoba, Aisegba, Agbado, lfaki, ldo and Aaye) within thr...
ABSTRACT Leucaena leucocephala was soaked for 48 hours and sun dried for l2hours it was then incorporated into feed for growing rabbits, the nutrient digestibility of Leucaena leucocephala (LLM) at 0 (control), 50 and 100% replacement of soybean was evaluated and the growth rate of weaned rabbits at different level of inclusion was compared. A total of 15 growing rabbits of different sexes and breeds with initial body weight range of 679±90.55 were randomly distributed into three experimenta...
ABSTRACT The phenotypic characteristics of local chickens were studied in three local govermnent areas of ekiti state, Nigeria (lkole, Ekiti East and Oye local government). One hundred and eighty (180) captive adult birds (normal feathering female and male, frizzled local chicken were scored and measured for phenotypic characteristics (variation in plumage and shank colour, and eye colour, shank length, body length, body weight, bealc length, comb height, comb type, clutch size, chest length,...
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...
Summary Chicken breeding is a technical enterprise that involves specific and timely strategies to manipulate latent Factors. It is also intensive and involves high managerial competence for high profitability. Data on Hen day production, egg weight, Age in production (Prodage), Season, Strain (genotype) and Batch on weekly basis were obtained from Layer chicken from a popular chicken farm in Ibadan. These data covered the production cycle of 2 Strains – Bovan Nera and Isa Brown – of chic...
Abstract Genotype x Environment interaction described as change in the relative performance of a genotype in two or more environments is a factor in the breeding of chickens in the tropics. Cock weight, hen weight, Hen-house production, egg weight, fertility of eggs set, hatchability of eggs set and pullet day-old chicks hatched was studied to apply the presence of this interaction for improving chicken production in South-west Nigeria. Interaction was investigated by the Factorial ANOVA meth...