Effect of dietary vitamin D3 supplementation on meat quality of naked neck chickens

Consumers’ interest of indigenous chicken meat is increasing. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on meat quality of indigenous male naked neck chickens. Different supplementation levels of 0, 2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 IU of vitamin D3 per kg DM of feed were used. 13 weeks old male naked neck chickens with a mean live weight of 1200 ± 3 g were supplemented with vitamin  D3 for a period of seven days before slaughter. A 2 (cooking or not) x 2 (postmortem agings of 0 or 24 hs) x 5 (vitamin D3 levels) factorial arrangement in a complete randomized design was used for shear force analysis of raw or cooked naked neck chicken meat. A 2 (postmortem agings of 0 or 24 hs) x 5 (vitamin D3 levels) factorial arrangement in a complete randomized design was used for sensory evaluation of the meat. A quadratic equation was used to determine vitamin D3 supplementation levels for optimum shear force value and sensory attributes. Vitamin D3 supplementation did not improve (P>0.05) shear force values of unaged or aged raw and cooked naked neck chicken meat. Shear force values of unaged raw or cooked meat were optimized at different levels of 3735 (r2=0.832) and 2512 (r2=0.669) IU of vitamin D3 per kg DM feed, respectively. Shear force values of aged raw or cooked meat were optimized at different levels of 6728 (r2 =0.274) and 4249 (r2=0.873) IU of vitamin D3 per kg DM feed, respectively. Vitamin D3 supplementation had no effect (P>0.05) on unaged meat tenderness, juiciness and flavour. However, vitamin D3 supplementation improved (P<0.05) aged meat tenderness and flavour. Tenderness, juiciness and flavour of aged naked neck chicken meat were optimized at supplementation level of 6830 (r2=0.839), 6894 (r2=0.683) and 9795 (r2=0.657) IU of vitamin  D3 per kg DM. It was concluded that vitamin D3 supplementation improved tenderness and flavour of aged naked neck chicken meat. However, shear force values of unaged or aged raw or cooked naked neck chicken meat were not improved by vitamin D3 supplementation.Keywords: Shear force, postmortem aging, calpains, connective tissue, tenderness, juiciness, flavorAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(22), pp. 3576-358

Influence of low-tannin sorghum on performance and bone morphometrics of male Ross 308 broilers aged 1 - 42 days

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of low tannin sorghum as a maize replacement on the performance and bone morphometrics of Ross 308 broiler chickens. A total of 250 one-day-old broiler chickens were allotted to a complete randomized design with five treatments replicated five times. Birds were offered varying sorghum levels as maize replacement at 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, formulated to be isonutritive and isoenergetic. The condensed tannin and total phenolic contents of the sorghum were analysed. Bodyweight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality was recorded as it occurred. Digestibility measurements were done when the chickens were between 15 and 21 days and between 35 and 42 days old. At ages 21 and 42 days, two chickens per pen were slaughtered to determine bone characteristics. A digital calliper was used to measure the length and diameter of the bones, and an electronic scale was used to determine the weight of the bones. Ash, calcium and phosphorus concentrations of the bones were determined. The Seedor and robusticity indices of the tibia were also calculated. The general linear model procedure of Statistical Analysis Software was used to analyse the data. At 1 - 21 days old bodyweight was higher for birds fed a level of 50% sorghum than those that were offered the control diet. Replacing maize with sorghum improved the metabolizable energy (ME) of broiler chickens aged 42 days. Bodyweight and FCR of birds fed diets with 50%, 75% and 100% sorghum were higher and better, respectively, than those on diets with 25% and 0% sorghum at 22 - 42 days old. Bone morphometries of chickens aged 1 - 21 days and 22 - 42 days were not affected by replacing maize with sorghum. Thus, maize can be replaced by a low tannin white sorghum without causing adverse effects on chickens.Keywords: minerals, tibia bone, Seedor and robusticity indice

Performance of broiler chickens fed South African sorghum-based diets with xylanase

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of sorghum variety and xylanase on performance of broiler chickens. In Experiment 1A, a total of 240 day-old Ross broiler chickens were assigned to a 2 (sex) × 3 (sorghum variety) × 2 (with or without xylanase) factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with 20 chickens per treatment. Gross performance measurements were assessed at 7, 14, and 21 days of age. Carcass yield and visceral organ weights were measured at day 21. In Experiment 1B, a total of 108 female Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to a 3 (sorghum variety) × 2 (with or without xylanase) factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with 6 treatments replicated 6 times. On day 25, all birds were euthanazed by intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbitone and digesta contents from the distal ileum were collected to determine the nutrient digestibility. Broiler chickens offered sorghum variety Pan8816 supplemented with xylanase had higher feed intake, weight gain, and similar feed conversion ratio at 1 - 7 days of age. Breast meat of broiler chickens was not affected by variety or xylanase. The small intestine was heavier in the Pan8625 and Pan8816 groups with xylanase than in the similar Pan8906 group. Enzyme inclusion increased the crude protein digestibility. When xylanase was included in all sorghum varieties, numerically, starch digestibility tended to improve. Sorghum variety affected the growth performance of broiler chickens. Furthermore, nutrient digestibility was affected by the differences in variety.Keywords: Digestibility, tannin, poultry, visceral organs, xylanas

The nutritional use of millet grain for food and feed: a review

Abstract Worldwide, millets are regarded as a significant grain, however, they are the least exploited. Millet grain is abundant in nutrients and health-beneficial phenolic compounds, making it suitable as food and feed. The diverse content of nutrients and phenolic compounds present in finger and pearl millet are good indicators that the variety of millet available is important when selecting it for use as food or feed. The phenolic properties found in millets compromise phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, which are beneficial to human health. Moreover, finger millet has an exceptionally unique, more abundant, and diverse phenolic profile compared to pearl millet. Research has shown that millet phenolic properties have high antioxidant activity. The presence of phytochemicals in millet grains has positive effect on human health by lowering the cholesterol and phytates in the body. The frantic demands on maize and its uses in multiple industries have merited the search for alternative grains, to ease the pressure. Substitution of maize with pearl and finger millets in the diets of different animals resulted in positive impact on the performance. Including these grains in the diet may improve health and decrease the risks of diseases. Pearl millet of 50% or more can be used in broiler diets without adversely affecting broiler performance or egg production. Of late, millet grain has been incorporated in other foods and used to make traditional beverages. Thus, the core aim of this review is to provide insight and comprehension about the nutritional and phenolic status of millets and their impact on human and livestock

Chemical composition and nutritive value of South African sorghum varieties as feed for broiler chickens

Abstract Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important grain crop after wheat, rice, maize and barley. It is cultivated for food and feed in America, Asia, Australia and Africa. Newly developed sorghum varieties should be evaluated for their suitability as food and feed. The physical characteristics and proximate composition, total phenolic content, mineral content, amino acid profile and digestibility, and true metabolizable energy of four sorghum varieties were studied. The condensed tannin sorghum varieties PAN8625 and NS5511 had higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity than the non-tannin varieties PAN8816 and PAN8906. Crude protein content diverged narrowly across the varieties, ranging from 81.2 to 95.4 g/kg DM. Starch and gross energy contents also differed, though varieties that were used had similar total and individual mineral contents. The threonine, leucine, phenylalanine, valine, proline and alanine contents of PAN8625 and PAN8906 were higher than those of NS5511 and PAN8816, which had similar contents. Amino acid digestibility and metabolizable energy of the tannin varieties were generally lower than those of the non-tannin ones. These results indicate that chemical and nutrient composition of sorghum varieties should be considered when selecting for broiler chicken feeding

Chemical composition and nutritive value of South African sorghum varieties as feed for broiler chickens

Sorghum ('Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench') is the fifth most important grain crop after wheat, rice, maize and barley. It is cultivated for food and feed in America, Asia, Australia and Africa. Newly developed sorghum varieties should be evaluated for their suitability as food and feed. The physical characteristics and proximate composition, total phenolic content, mineral content, amino acid profile and digestibility, and true metabolizable energy of four sorghum varieties were studied. The condensed tannin sorghum varieties PAN8625 and NS5511 had higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity than the non-tannin varieties PAN8816 and PAN8906. Crude protein content diverged narrowly across the varieties, ranging from 81.2 to 95.4 g/kg DM. Starch and gross energy contents also differed, though varieties that were used had similar total and individual mineral contents. The threonine, leucine, phenylalanine, valine, proline and alanine contents of PAN8625 and PAN8906 were higher than those of NS5511 and PAN8816, which had similar contents. Amino acid digestibility and metabolizable energy of the tannin varieties were generally lower than those of the non-tannin ones. These results indicate that chemical and nutrient composition of sorghum varieties should be considered when selecting for broiler chicken feeding

Effects of egg weight on hatchability, chick hatch-weight and subsequent productivity of indigenous Venda chickens in Polokwane, South Africa

A study was conducted to determine the effect of egg weight on hatchability, chick hatch-weight, mortality and subsequent productivity of indigenous Venda chickens. Three hundred and sixty indigenous Venda chicken eggs were collected for a period of a week and selection was done based on the weight of the eggs. A complete randomized design was used, with four treatment weights, each with 90 eggs. The four treatment weights were as follows: below 49 g, between 50 and 59 g, between 60 and 69 g, and above 70 g. Egg weight was positively and strongly correlated with egg hatchability (r2 = 0.727) and chick hatch-weight (r2 = 0.953). Heavier-sized eggs hatched chicks had higher mortality rates. Growth rate and live weight of the chickens were optimized at different egg weights of 56 (r2 = 0.657) and 60 (r2 = 0.870) g, respectively, for chickens aged 1 to 7 weeks, and egg weights of 61 g (r2 = 0.514) and 60 g (r2 = 0.948), respectively, for chickens aged 8 to 13 weeks. It is concluded that indigenous Venda chicken egg weight affects hatchability, hatch-weight, mortality and subsequent productivity of the chickens. It is concluded that production variables were optimized at different egg weights. This means that the selection of eggs for incubation will depend on the parameter in question.Keywords: Venda chickens, egg weight for optimal productivity, growth, mortalit

A review of the possibilities of utilising medicinal plants in improving the reproductive performance of male ruminants

Our review condensed evidence on the potential of medicinal plants to improve the reproductive performance of livestock. The success of any livestock farming operation is highly dependent on the reproductive performance of animals. However, infertility has limited the proficiency of livestock and resulted in economic losses. For centuries, farmers utilised medicinal plants extensively in managing reproductive disorders. These plants have few to no side effects, are cheap, easily accessible and readily available. Among others, the inclusion of Moringa olifera leaf extracts for 14 days at levels of 100–300 mg/kg body weight improved sperm characteristics. Zingiber officinale root extracts at levels of 500–1000 mg/kg body weight for 3 weeks increased sperm count, viability and mobility and testosterone. Furthermore, the increase in the volume of ejaculate and sperm concentration has been observed in sheep when Leucaena spp were added to their diets at 100–300 g/sheep/day for 60 days. However, there is little literature regarding the use of medicinal plants on ruminants, as the majority of studies have been laboratory-based and have used experimental animals, including rats and mice. Thus, future research is required through in vivo and in vitro studies to ascertain the efficacy of these medicinal plants in male ruminants

Potential significance of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) to global food and feed industries

AbstractKenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is an annual herbaceous dicotyledonous plant native to Asia and Africa belonging to the Malvaceae family. Due to its many applications, it is a valuable multifunctional crop. This is an essential food, fibre and medicinal plant that can tolerate a variety of environmental conditions. This plant, along with other food alternatives, has potential to be used in feed resource-based inventories. It is an alternative crop that can be used as a protein source in both human and animal feed production. Kenaf contains a great number of bioactive compounds which can be of great importance in human and animal health. Furthermore, kenaf meal can replace soyabean meal and fish meal as protein supplements. Kenaf is greatly adaptable and available therefore, its fast growth and nutritional qualities give it a great potential to solve food insecurity in future. This paper gives an overview of kenaf’s future potential in the food and feed industries