This study was designed to assess the digestibility of feed components and the growth performances of broilers fed on raw Cowpea based diet supplemented with fibrolytic enzyme (Naturzyme®). A control ration without Cowpea and enzyme was compared to six others rations in which raw cowpea was incorporated at 15 and 25% and supplemented with 350 and 500g enzyme/ton of feed. The experimental rations were randomly assigned to 252 twenty-one-day old Cobb500 broiler chickens in a 2x2 factorial design (two level of enzyme and two level of cowpea). At 49 days old, faeces were collected over a period of 3 days to assess the digestibility of feed components. The main results showed that the increasing rate of raw cowpea in the rations induced a linear decrease (p<0.05) in feed intake. The inclusion of 25% of cowpea in the ration irrespective of the rate of incorporation of the enzyme tends to increase the digestibility of feed component as compared to the control. Growth parameters of broilers inversely decrease with the incorporation rate of raw cowpea in the ration. The highest carcass yield (p<0.05) was recorded with 15% raw cowpea supplemented with 500g of enzyme per ton of feed. The relative weight of the gizzard increased significantly (p<0.05) with the increasing incorporation rate of raw cowpea in the diet with or without enzyme supplements. In conclusion, raw cowpea supplemented with enzyme did not substantially improve the growth performance of broilers. Other processing methods like boiled or fermented should be considered for better utilization of cowpea in broilers diet.

This study was assigned to assess the effect palm kernel meal as protein source in broiler chickens diet. The experimental rations consisted of replacing soybean meal by palm kernel meal at the rates of 50, 75 and 100 percent supplemented with lysine-methionine and spirulina and a control ration without palm kernel meal. The main results revealed that, all the growth parameters decreased with increasing rate of substitution of soybean meal with palm kernel meal. Compared to the control ration containing soybean meal as main protein source, feed conversion ratio increased by 25.97; 39.39 and 71.43 % with lysine-methionine mixture and by 40.34; 53.22 and 62.66% with spirulina in rations containing 50, 75 and 100 % palm kernel meal respectively. Carcass yield globally decreased, with the exception of carcass yields with 75% palm kernel meal supplemented with lysine-methionine that increased by 3.48 % compared to the control ration. The relative weight of the legs, head and digestive organs increased with increasing rate of palm kernel meal in feed regardless of the supplement. The lowest cost of production was recorded with spirulina compared to lysine-methionine regardless of the level of incorporation of palm kernel meal in feed. In conclusion, using large quantities of palm kernel meal even enriched with amino acids or proteins rich resources is not profitable to broiler chickens.

An ethnobotanical study of indigenous knowledge on the uses of medicinal plant species was conducted from December 2017 to March 2018 in Gasera district of Bale Zone, Oromia Regional State. The objective of the study was to document indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat human and livestock ailments, threats and conservation status of medicinal plants before it is lost. Different ethnobotanical techniques such as semi-structured interviews, group discussion, field observations and guided field walk were used for gathering data and a total of 97 informants from 6 kebeles were involved in the study. A total of 121 medicinal plant species belonging to 113 genera and 60 families were documented. Among plant families, Lamiaceae was the most dominant plant family represented by 10 species, followed by Solanaceae represented by 8 species and Asteraceae represented by 7 species. Most of the species (78 species) were collected from the wild while (43 species) were collected from home-gardens. A total of 59 (48.76%) species were used for the treatment of human ailments, 34 species (28.1%) were used to treat both human and livestock ailments and 28 species (23.14%) were used to treat livestock ailments only. Herbs were the most used plants, accounting for 52.89% followed by shrubs (23.14%), trees (19.01%), climbers (3.31%) and epiphytes (1.65%). Human interference through habitat destruction for agricultural expansion, construction, firewood and other purposes were the major threats to medicinal plants in the study area. Awareness raising and community based participatory forest management program should be encouraged.

Gametogenesis is a fundamental aspect in sexual reproduction. Successful gametogenesis transcends to high fertility in any breeding herd when all other production factors are held optimum. The interaction amongst gametogenesis, embryogenesis, antioxidants and oxidative stress should be considered a key component of livestock fertility which has the potential to improve efficiency. This discussion looks at the influence of antioxidants and oxidative stress on gametogenesis, embryogenesis and livestock fertility in broad. Any disorders during gametogenesis and embryogenesis result in reduced fertility in livestock. Infertility is one of the major bottlenecks hampering livestock production. Livestock fertility is a multi-factorial trait as its decline is attributed to physiological, genetic, and environmental as well as husbandry factors. Furthermore, the discussion will spell out how antioxidants can be exploited as a remedy to tackle negative effects of reactive oxygen species in in vivo .

Consumption of animal protein in Nigeria is far less than recommended level for adequate growth and development in humans. There is the need to beef up livestock production, especially in the sub humid zone through intensive system using bigger breeds for improved nutritional status. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth performance and the carcass characteristics of Yankasa rams fed Panicum maximum fodder supplemented with concentrate mix under intensive feedlot. Twenty yearling Yankasa rams of an average body weight of 21.33+0.50 kg were randomly assigned into five treatment groups with four animals per group in a randomized completely block design (RCBD) after being quarantined for 30 days. The experimental diets consisted of Panicum maximum fodder as the basal diet at 3% body weight of the rams. Concentrate diet was formulated using maize (25.00%), brewers dried grains (40.50%), moringa leaf meal (16.00%), urea (2.70%), rice husk (14.50%), vitamin-mineral premix (1.00%) and common salt (0.30%). The concentrate mix served as the supplement to and replaced the basal diet at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% body weight of the rams respectively in treatment 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The amount of feed offered was adjusted weekly based on average body weight from the preceding week. The dry matter, crude protein (CP) constituents and the gross energy (GE) value of concentrate were higher than that of the forage. However, the crude fibre (CF) of forage was greater than the CF of concentrate mix. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences among the means of the feed intake in the treatments. The average daily weight gain and metabolic weight gains increased significantly (p<0.05) with increased supplements. Significantly (p<0.05) higher feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded for rams in T1 (24.07±1.12) while T5 had lowest value (8.35±0.80). Carcass yield was increased with increasing level of supplementation while integrity of the relative organs characteristics were maintained. The best result was obtained when Yankasa rams were fed with 2% concentrate mix as percentage body weight of the rams. Supplementing Panicum maximum with varied levels of concentrate mix resulted in improved rams’ productivity.

This study was conducted in Gimbi district, West Wollega zone to understand the traditional handling, processing and utilization of milk and milk products. 128 households were selected based on ownership of dairy cows, milk processing, handling, and utilization practice. Accordingly, Lantana trifolia (Kusaayee), Ocimum sanctum (Basoobilaa), Olea Africana (Qoraasuma) and Deinboll (Dabaqqa) were the most commonly cleaning and smoking plant species in the district. Yoghurt-like fermented/sour milk, traditional butter, traditional ghee, cottage cheese (Ayib), buttermilk and whey were the major milk products produced in the district. Women preserve butter by mixing with spices such as Zingiber officinale (Jinjibila), Allium sativum (Qulubbii adii), Ocimum (Siqaqibee) and Trigonella foenum (Sunqoo). Out of the total daily milk produced, most of it was processed (70.5%), 8% was sold while the left was consumed within the household (21.5%). Among milk and milk products produced, only butter was supplied to local markets. Lack of cooling facilities; low volume of milk production; unimproved milk processing materials and limited knowledge on handling and processing of milk and milk products were the major constraints. Recognizing the importance milk and milk products to the producing household nutrition, health and income, development interventions are required to boost production, improve the quality of the products and efficiency of the traditional milk processing equipment.

Previously, before their restriction and/or ban, sub-therapeutic antibiotic growth promoters had been extensively used to improve growth rate and efficiency of feed utilization, in addition to curtailing morbidity and mortality in rabbit production. Due to the public health risk associated with the irrational and irresponsible use of low and sub-therapeutic prescription of antibiotics in food animals have raised great concern. For the last few years the focal point of various nutritional studies has aimed at searching for safe, natural and ecological products to eliminate the use of antibiotics in rabbit nutrition. The argument is that the use of sub-therapeutic antimicrobial drugs in food animals has increased the transmission and the proliferation of resistant bacteria via the food chain hence their adverse effect on human health and environment. The aftermath is the heightened advancement of resistance of diversified pathogenic microbial populations, especially bacteria against more antibiotics that are ultimately missing for the therapy in human medicine. In response to the elimination of antibiotics as growth promoters’ rabbit nutritional studies have refocused on finding alternative organic compounds (natural) feed additives to replace the sub-therapeutic antimicrobial drugs. Testing of herbs, spices and other extracts (botanicals) as alternative feed additives have shown their effectiveness as appetizers, digestive and physiological stimulants, colorants, antioxidants, and for the prevention and treatment of certain pathological conditions. In this regard, use of a wide range of phytogenic feed additives in rabbit nutrition has recently become a common management practice, since plant based feed additives have demonstrated to productively enhance rabbit growth performance, improve animal oxidative status, prevention and treatment of certain pathological conditions and acting as rabbit product quality enhancers. This has confirmed that plant based feed additives can be bestowed as a conceivable option to enhance a variety of critical processes in food animal physiology without adverse effects on human health and environment. Plant based feed additives may comprise among supplements that could positively influence feed quality, improve animal health besides animal products decidedly of their categorically efficacious elements. This is on the backdrop that food safety and identifiable high quality animal products are recommended to sustain consumer confidence and consumption. The present review attempt to assess the prospects of phytogenic feed additives as a major solution to an antibiotic free nutritional programs and feeding patterns in rabbit production.