African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability Vol. 1 (4), pp. 061-065, November, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Growth, haematology and serum biochemistry of broilers fed probiotics based diets

Owosibo, A. O.*, Odetola, O. M., Odunsi, O. O., Adejinmi, O. O. and Lawrence-Azua, O. O.

Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, P. M. B. 5029, Moor Plantation, Ibadan,

Oyo State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 15 August, 2013

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with a total of one hundred and twenty one-day old Marshall broiler chicks to determine the effect of probiotics (Biovet-YC and Gro-Up) on the performance characteristics, haematology and serum biochemistry of broilers. A completely randomized design was used and the experiment lasted for eight weeks. The birds were grouped into three treatments (T1, T2 and T3 respectively). T₁ served as the control, T2 contained 0.1% Biovet^(R) and T3 contained 0.1% Gro-up^(TM) both at starter and finisher phase respectively. Data were collected on feed intake and weight gain, while blood samples were collected for haematological indices and serum biochemical indices examination. Bird on T3 had the highest live weight (2321.10 g), while those on control had the lowest (2117.00 g); the same trend was elicited for the feed conversion ratio. The results of haematology and serum biochemistry revealed significant (P<0.05) difference in the values obtained for lymphocytes, neutrophil, and cholesterol. The highest lymphocytes value was obtained in T1 (59.00%) while the lowest value was obtained in T2 (44.75%), but for neutrophil, T2 has the highest value of (54.75%) while T1 has the lowest (40.00%). The same trend was noticed for cholesterol. It can be concluded that the inclusion of probiotics in the diets of broilers will bring about improved live weight and feed conversion ratio, but can elevate the serum cholesterol value.

Key words: Probiotics, broilers, performance, haematology, serum.

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability Vol. 1 (5), pp. 066-068, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
 
Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of experimental infection with Aeromonas hydrophila in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) (Holmberg, 1887)*

Silvia Patrícia Carraschi^1,2*, Claudinei da Cruz², Joaquim Gonçalves Machado Neto³, Flávio Ruas de Moraes⁴, Oswaldo Durival Rossi Júnior⁵, Antonio Nader Neto² and Neida Lucas Bortoluzzi⁴

¹Centro de Aquicultura (Aquaculture Center) at Unesp – Jaboticabal Campus – São Paulo – Brazil.

²Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais em Matologia (NEPEAM) (Weed Science Environmental Research Studies Centre) of the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences at Unesp - Jaboticabal – São Paulo – Brazil.

³Laboratório de Ecotoxicologia dos Agrotóxicos e Saúde Ocupacional (Laborseg) (Pesticides Ecotoxicology and Ocupational Health Lab) of the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences at Unesp - Jaboticabal –

São Paulo Brazil.

⁴Laboratório de Ictiopatologia (Fish Pathology Lab) of the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences at Unesp - de Jaboticabal – São Paulo – Brazil.

⁵Departamento do Medicina Veterinária Preventiva (Preventive Veterinary Medicine Department) of the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences at Unesp - Jaboticabal – São Paulo – Brazil.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: (+5516) 3209-2630.

Accepted 21 October, 2013

Abstract

The aim of this work is to determine the concentration of Aeromonas hydrophila to be inoculated in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), so as to induce bacterial infection but not death during a period of at least ten days and, therefore, enable the development of treatment protocols. The tested concentrations were established through the Mac Farland scale and fish were subjected to three A. hydrophila infection concentrations (1.2 × 10⁷, 2.4 × 10⁷ and 1.5 × 10⁸ UFC.mL^-1) through intracoelomic, intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. The clinical exam was done 24 h after inoculation, and the clinical signs suggested aeromonosis in all three groups. In the lowest concentration, animals demonstrated few clinical signs of disease, and in the highest concentration, all animals died within 24 h of aeromonosis induction with acute infection. In the intermediate concentration (2.4 × 10⁷ UFC.mL^-1), all animals presented clinical signs of aeromonosis and kept living at the beginning of the time of treatment. Therefore, 2.4 × 10⁷ UFC mL^-1 concentration was defined as viable for the study of experimental infection in pacu by A. hydrophila, as the fishes were kept alive at the beginning of the time of treatment protocol with pharmochemicals.

Key words: Bacterial infection, fish, disease, antibiotics.

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability Vol. 1 (5), pp. 081-093, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Role of collective actions in integrated soil and water conservation: The Case of Gununo Watershed, Southern Ethiopia

Waga Mazengia¹* and Jermias Mowo²

¹Hawassa Agricultural Research Centre, P. O. Box, 6, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

²African Highlands Initiative, World Agroforestry Center, P. O. Box 26416, Kampala, Uganda.

*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]. Tel: +251-911793014. Fax: +251-462200084.

Accepted 2 August, 2013

Abstract

Collective action was initiated to manage soil and water conservation in Gununo watershed in southern Ethiopia. General problem exploration was conducted initially and issues requiring collective action were identified through group discussion and community meeting. Similarly local institution that could effectively lead the collective action was selected and collective action was run for two seasons (2005 and 2006). The conservation measures implemented were soil bund and fanya juu on which elephant grass and banana were planted as bund-stabilizer. Group and individual interviews were used to assess farmers’ perceptions on the benefits of the measures taken. Participatory monitoring and evaluation was conducted at different stages of the implementations. Descriptive analysis was used to interpret the results. Close to ten kilometer length of structures were constructed in the two seasons. Farmers also adopted and constructed additional length of soil conservation structures individually and also planted additional bund-stabilizer. The soil condition was improved and crop productivity increased within short period. In general, farmers’ participation in decision making and integration of feed and food crops with soil conservation structures as soil bund stabilizer increased adoption of soil conservation exercise. However, the achievements were associated with challenges mainly attached to dependency of farmers to food-for-work.

Key words: Bund stabilizer, collective action, fanya juu, local institution, soil and water conservation.

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability Vol. 1 (2), pp. 039-044, September, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
 
Full Length Research Paper

Reproductive potentials of rabbit does fed diets containing processed cassava peel/blood meal mixtures

Ojebiyi O. O.¹*, Farinu G. O.¹, Babatunde G. M.¹, Togun V. A.², Oseni S. O.³, Shittu M. D.²   and Amao O. A.¹

¹Deparment of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,

P.M.B. 4000, Oyo State, Nigeria.

²Department of Animal Production and Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,

P. M. B. 4000, Oyo State, Nigeria.

³Department of Animal Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 8 April, 2013

Abstract

A study was conducted for 12 weeks using sixty crossbred (Newzealand white x Chinchilla) female rabbits to investigate the effect of feeding cassava peel/blood meal (CPBM) mixture (3:2) on their performance. Ten experimental diets were formulated with diets 1 serving as control. Diets 2, 3 and 4 had 10, 20 and 30% inclusion of ash treated CPBM mixture (ATD+BM); diets 5, 6 and 7 had 10, 20 and 30% parboiled CPBM mixture (PAB+BM) while diets 8, 9 and 10 consist of sun dried CPBM mixture (SUD+BM) at 10, 20 and 30% inclusion level, respectively. The rabbits were divided into 10 treatments group of six rabbits each with each rabbit serving as a replicate in a Randomized Complete Block Design in a factorial arrangement. Age and attainment of puberty shows that SUD+BM had the highest number of does attaining puberty at 4 and 6 weeks, ATD+BM had the highest number at 8 weeks while PAB+BM had the highest number at 10 and 12 weeks. The effect of levels of inclusion of CPBM shows that the 10% levels of inclusion had the highest number of does attaining puberty at the 6th week and 8th week while 20% had highest number of rabbits attaining puberty at 4th and 10th week while at the 12th week rabbits on 20% had the highest number. It can be concluded that rabbits on PAB+BM performed better than others and 20% inclusion level was optimum for the attainment of puberty.

Key words: Reproductive potential, rabbit does, cassava peel, blood meal.

Full Length Research Paper

Enhancing the productivity of livestock production in highland of Ethiopia: Implication for improved on‐farm feeding strategies and utilization

Mesay Yami*, Bedada Begna and TeklemedihinTeklewold

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Socio-Economics, Extension

Research Process, P. O. Box 489, Assela, Ethiopia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 13 April, 2013

Abstract

The feed assessment tool (FEAST) was used to characterize the farming and livestock system. Prior to data collection, a sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) approach was used in August 2012. The result of the study depict that the contribution of grazing to dry matter (DM), metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) content was relatively high for the above average group farmers who reserve more land for the growth of grazing pasture and crop residue (barley and wheat) through land renting. Due to limitations of grazing and crop residue resources farmers in the below average group were forced to use the purchased feeds and it contributes more to the CP, ME and DM of the total diet of their livestock in the order of importance. The problems that were raised by the farmers encompass shortage of feed, unavailability of credit services, shortage of veterinary service and lack AI service. The study recommends the development of herbaceous forage legumes and fodder trees species which can mitigate the constraints of feed scarcity. Training on cost effective livestock ration formulation techniques to reduce the feed shortages observed and to supply the livestock with quality and palatable feeds requires due attention.

Key words: Feed, livestock, crude protein, dry matter, metabolizable energy.

African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability Vol. 1 (2), pp. 033-038, September, 2013.© International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Market weight and carcass characteristics of intact yearling afar goats under semi-intensive feeding management

Endashaw Terefe^1*, Yibra Yaqob², Kidanie Dessalegn², Abebe Tafa², Ashebir Kifle²,

Weldegebrel Gebregziabher² and Weldegebrel Tesfamariam²

¹Adama Science and Technology University, Institute of Animal Biotechnology p.o.box 1077, Asella, Ethiopia.

²Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research; Werer Agricultural Research Center P.o.box 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 24 July, 2013

Abstract

This study was conducted at Werer Agricultural Research Center with the objective to investigate the effect of diets on growth and carcass characteristics and to identify the economic ration and duration required to meet the market body weight (25 to 30 kg) of Afar goats under semi- intensive feeding management. Grazing goat kids were supplemented with a concentrate mix composed of 75% Leucaena leaf (LL) hay (300 g/day per head): 25% wheat bran (WB) (100 g/day per head) for T1, 50% LL hay (200 g/day per head): 50% WB (200 g/day per head) for T2 and 25% LL hay (100 g/day per head): 75% WB (300 g/day per head) for T3. No supplementation provided for goats in the control group (T4). Accordingly, goats that received T2 had significantly higher (P<0.05) total dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) intake than supplemented goats in the remaining dietary treatments. As a result, the average daily weight gain of goats maintained under T2 found significantly higher (P<0.001) than those of treatments and control groups. Moreover, supplementation after grazing with WB and LL hay mixture tend to have increased live weight (P<0.001), carcass yield (P<0.01) and carcass characteristics (P<0.01) of experimental goat kids. Supplemented yearling goats attained slaughter weight in a range of 28 to 30 kg within about 168 days from the start of the experiment period as compared to the 24 kg weight recorded for goat kids managed as control group. Besides, 25 and 50% WB concentrate supplementation after grazing provides more profit than 75% WB and grazing without supplementation of yearling Afar goat.

Key words: Afar goat, semi-intensive, wheat bran, leucaena leaf, supplement feeding, carcass yield.