EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON HAEMATOLOGY OF RABBITS: A REVIEW

This review examined the effects of nutrition on haematology of rabbits. The physiology of farm animals is influenced by several factors, one of which is nutrition. The nutritional status of an animal is dependent on dietary intake and effectiveness of metabolic processes. Dietary contents affect blood profile of farm animals. Haematological studies represent a useful process in the investigation of the extent of damage to the blood. Examination of blood provides the opportunity to clinically investigate the physiological, nutritional and pathological status of an animal. And changes in haematological parameters are often used to determine stresses due to nutrition. Reports by different researchers indicated that different diets fed to rabbits had different effects on haematological parameters, some of which were detrimental while others improved their haematological indices as they remained within the normal range of values for rabbits

Environmental Management and Higher Education: Are They Closely Related?

An empirical study was conducted to determine the relationship between higher education and environmental management. Through the multi-stage sampling procedure, the representative sample of 180 respondents were selected for the study. Primary data were obtained with the aid of questionnaire. Data were subjected to univariate probit regression analysis. Results revealed a positive relationship between environmental management and higher education. Findings showed that tertiary education was significant at one percent level suggesting that people who have acquired higher education were more likely to adopt and apply environmental management practices and techniques. Findings further revealed that the variable, no formal education, was negative and significant (P<0.05) indicating that persons without formal education were less likely to imbibe environmental management measures. Supportive policies and institutions which provide access to training and information (awareness and media sensitization) that will expand the opportunities of the poor to invest in environmental improvements are required. Policies to promote sound environmental management and protect the environmental assets through higher education would be a rational decision. The poor with low education must be seen first as part of the solution rather than part of the problem

Farm Animals: Culprits and Victims of Global Warming and Climate Change

This paper examines livestock as culprits and victims of climate change. The farm animal sector is the single largest anthropogenic user of land, contributing to many environmental problems, including global warming and climate change. It is now an established fact that livestock are largely responsible for climate change through belching, flatulence, degradation of plant covers that act as carbon sink. It is estimated that this sector caused 37 % methane emission and 9 % of carbon dioxide (Co2) output and that it also used 8 % of the world‟s water. As the numbers of farm animals reared for meat, egg and dairy cows increase so do from their production. This rise in the number of livestock reared threatens to exacerbate climatic It highlights climatic change outcomes of heat stress, drought and flooding as severely affecting vegetation composition and distribution and thereby affecting availability of pasture for feeding livestock. The paper further emphasizes that climate change cause water shortages due to rainfall decrease and shift in timing of rainfall which could be very important to livestock because animals have varying water needs for their and development. Also, climate change has the potential to increase several vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. These are evidences to show that farm animals are also victims of global warming and climate change. Immediate and far-reaching changes in current animal production practices and consumptio

Physiological and Behavioural Responses of Farm Animals to Stress: Implications to Animal Productivity

The aim of this paper is to examine the physiological and behavioural responses of farm animals to stress and implications to animal productivity. In animal husbandry, stress has actually been conceived as a reflex reaction that occurs ineluctably when animals are exposed to adverse environmental conditions and which is the cause of many unfavourable consequences, ranging from discomfort to death. All animals will experience some level of stress during their lives. Stress reduces the fitness of an animal, which can be expressed through failure to achieve production performance standards, or through disease and death. Stress in farm animals may also have detrimental effects on quality of food products. Farm animals try to cope with stressors using behavioural and physiological stress responses aiming to restore homeostasis. When these responses are not successful or when they are thwarted, typical behavioural and physiological symptoms of chronic stress occur. In this case, the welfare of the animal is clearly at stake. Therefore, all farmers should keep their animals within their comfort zone and employ proper management practices. Moreover, identifying and minimizing stressful situations allows for greater animal productivity as well as economic benefit for the consumers and producers. However, the impact of stress is difficult to precisely determine, it is imperative that the issue receive more research attention in the interests of optimizing animal welfare and minimizing losses in product yield and quality