Feed evaluation

A 42-d study was conducted to determine the effect of different processing methods of rubber seed meal (RSM) which include soaking, cooking, toasting and fermentation as substitute for soybean meal on performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, relative organ weight and carcass qualities of broiler chickens. Three hundred, 1-day old Arbor acre broiler chicks were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments containing the four different processed RSM (soaked, cooked, toasted and fermented RSM) and control diet without RSM, with five replications of twelve birds each in a completely randomized design. Proximate composition revealed that the fermented RSM had higher crude protein content, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) concentration recorded lowest in the cooked RSM than other processed RSM. Birds fed cooked and fermented RSM recorded higher weight gain and feed intake with better feed efficiency than those on toasted and soaked RSM group compared to the control group. The cost/kg weight gain of birds fed cooked and fermented RSM diets was lower than those fed control, soaked and toasted RSM diets. With the exception of crude protein digestibility which was lower in the group fed SRSM, apparent nutrient digestibility variables were similar among the control and other processed RSM diets. Carcass and organ variables were better compared among the control, cooked and fermented RSM groups. Conclusively, cooking and fermentation tend to improve the nutritive potentials of rubber seed than soaking and toasting. Birds fed cooked and fermented RSM maintained superior performance and better carcass qualities at higher savings in terms of cost/kg gain. ÖZ: Etlik piliçlerde soya küspesi yerine ikame olarak, ıslatma, pişirme, ezme ve fermantasyon gibi farklı üretim yöntemleri kullanılarak üretilen kauçuk tohumu küspesinin (KTK) performans, zahiri besin madde sindirilebilirliği, nispi organ ağırlıkları ve karkas kalitesi üzerine etkilerini saptamak için 42 günlük bir çalışma yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada 1 günlük yaşta 300 adet Arbor acre broyler civcivler, 4 farklı metotla (ıslatma, pişirme, ezme ve fermente) üretilen KTK içeren ve KTK içermeyen kontrol grubu olmak üzere, her birinde 12 civciv bulunan 5 tekerrürlü, 5 deneme grubuna rastgele yerleştirilmiştir. Diğer işleme metotları ile karşılaştırıldığında Weende analizleri açısından yalnızca ham protein düzeyi fermente KTK'da daha yüksek iken, hidrojen siyanid düzeyi pişmiş KTK'da en düşük bulunmuştur. Kontrol grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında pişmiş ve fermente KTK ile beslenen piliçlerde canlı ağırlık ve yem tüketimi daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Ayrıca kontrol, ezilmiş KTK ve ıslatılmış KTK gruplarından daha iyi yemden yararlanma oranı elde edilmiştir. Pişmiş ve fermente KTK ile beslenen piliçlerde maliyet/kg canlı ağırlık artışı kontrol grubu, ıslatılmış KTK ve ezilmiş KTK ile beslenen gruplardan daha düşük olmuştur. Islatılmış KTK ile beslenen grupta daha düşük olan ham protein sindirilebilirliği dışında, zahiri besin madde sindirilebilirliği değerleri kontrol ve diğer işlenmiş KTK grupları arasında benzer bulunmuştur. Karkas ve organ parametreleri kontrol, pişmiş ve fermente KTK gruplarında daha iyiydi. Sonuç olarak, pişirme ve fermantasyon kauçuk tohumunun besin değerlerini ıslatma ve ezmeye göre iyileştirmiştir. Pişmiş ve fermente KTK ile beslenen piliçler daha iyi performans ve maliyet/kg ağırlık kazancı ile birlikte daha iyi karkas kalitesi göstermişler.

The study was conducted to find out the availability of dry season feed for small ruminants in the Atebubu and Amantin communities of the Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana. Fifty (50) questionnaires were administered to farmers within the two communities. Among the data gathered was religion, educational background, source of animals, feed resources, among others. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results showed that 20% kept only goats, 18% sheep alone while 62% kept both sheep and goats. Seventy eight percent (78%) obtained their animals from the local market while 16and 6% got theirs from Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s (MoFA) Animal Breeding Station and as gifts respectively. Feed resources commonly utilised in the study area were crop residues namely maize stovers, groundnut tops, cowpea haulm, household wastes (peels of cassava, plantain and yam), by– products (e.g. groundnut cake and pito mash), pastures and browse plants. Feed materials were available in large quantities during the major rainy season; however the cost and labour involved in getting the feed materials for dry season feeding were among the problems confronting small ruminant farmers. It was suggested that appropriate storage and fodder handling techniques for all year round should be extended to the farmers.

Haematobiochemical indices of broiler chickens fed probiotic supplemented shea kernel cake meal based diet A 49-day experiment was conducted with a total of 240 Arbor acre broiler chicks, to determine the effect of probiotic supplementation on graded levels of shea kernel cake meal (SKCM) on their haematological and serum biochemical indices. The birds were randomly grouped into four dietary treatments comprising of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% inclusion levels of SKCM as T , T , T3 and T respectively in a completely randomized design having 5 replicates 1 2 4 with 12 chicks each. Diet T served as the control, without SKCM and probiotic addition, 1 while diet T , T and T were supplemented with 0.5g/kg Biovet-YC® at both starter and 2 3 4 finisher phases. Feed and water were given ad-libitum and routine management were strictly observed. At the end of the feeding trial, three broilers per replicate were randomly selected and blood collected using hypodermal syringe into two different labeled bottles with or without an anti-coagulant (EDTA) for haematology and serum biochemistry investigation respectively. The results showed that there were significant (P<0.05) increase in the white blood cell count and corresponding decrease (p<0.05) in serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentration of birds fed probiotic supplemented SNCM diets. However, other blood parameters measured were not affected (p>0.05) by the probiotic supplementation. Therefore, it can be concluded that incorporation of probiotic supplemented SKCM up to 15% inclusion level did not have any deleterious impact on blood status of the broiler chickens.

The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of the replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with urea (U) or urea supplemented with sulphur (US) on the performance of lambs. Twelve lambs were allocated to one of three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Control lambs were offered SBM diet with Guinea grass as the basal ration while lambs that received either of the other two treatments were offered the same basal ration with the replacement of SBM with either U or US. Dry matter (DM) intakes (g/d), DM digestibility, microbial protein supply and purine derivative excretion were higher (p&lt;0.05) in SBM and US than U. Concentrate, energy and digestible OM intakes, organic matter (OM) digestibility, energy concentration, ratio of digestible energy to digestible crude protein and OM digested in the rumen were greater (p&lt;0.05) in SBM than U or US. N free extract digestibility and urinary N were higher (p&lt;0.05) in U or US compared to SBM. Though there was no...