REPRODUCTIVE FAILURES IN FOOD ANIMALS - A FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW

A total of 140 reproductive cases were recorded in food animals at the Teaching and Research farm, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, between August, 2003 and May, 2008. Of these cases, the cattle, goat, sheep and piggery sections accounted for 14.3, 38.6, 10.7 and 36.4%, respectively. In the cattle section, cases recorded were, calf mortality (30.0%), agalactia (20.0%), mastitis (20.0%), still-birth (20.0%) and maternal mortality (10.0%). Cases recorded in the goat section were kid mortality (40.7%), abortion (24.0%), retained placenta (11.1%), mastitis (5.6%), maternal mortality (5.5%), still-birth (3.7%), paraphimosis (3.7%), agalactia (3.7%) and pyometra (1.9%). In sheep section however, cases recorded were lamb mortality (66.7%), uterine prolapse (6.7%), abortion (6.7%), retained placenta (6.7%), maternal mortality (6.7%) and metritis (6.7%). Cases recorded in the piggery section were piglet mortality (64.7%), infantophagia (7.8%), paraphimosis (5.9%), metritis (3.9%), mastitis (3.9%), stillbirth (2.0%), post parturient paralysis (2.0%), pyometra (2.0%), vesico-vagina fistula (2.0%), maternal mortality (2.0%), abortion (2.0%), and congenital eye defect (2.0%). In conclusion, good management practice, good environmental condition and genetic selection were identified as the bedrock for elimination and prevention of reproductive loss in food animals especially in the area of neonatal loss. Therefore, these three factors most critical in the sustenance of high productivity. &nbsp

EFFICACY STUDY OF ZINC CHLORIDE AND DIMINAZENE ACETURATE ON Trypanosoma brucei INOCULATED RATS

The   effect   of   Zinc  Chloride  (ZnCl )   and   Diminazene   aceturate  in  experimental  Trypanosoma   brucei                                          2        infected rats was investigated. Six groups (A-F) consisting of five rats each were used. A and F were        negative and positive controls, while B, C, D, and E were treated groups, respectively. The infection                                          6        was achieved by inoculating (1x10 ) of the parasite and rapid matching method was used to estimate        the parasitaemia in the host. Parasitaemia was monitored for 30 days using wet mount method. The        inoculated treated groups progressively showed parasitaemia five days post inoculation that caused        significant decrease (p<0.05) in packed cell volume (PCV) and white blood cell (WBC) count. After        treatment with ZnCl2  and Diminazene Aceturate (Group D), there was a remarkable improvement to-        wards the normal (Group A). This study shows that supplemental ZnCl2  could be used to alleviate the        severity of the infection in Trypanosomosis.&nbsp

EFFECTS OF ADMINISTERING A COMBINATION OF VITAMINS A AND E ON FERTILITY AND HATCHABILITY OF ANAK 2000 BREEDERS

The ameliorative effect of a combined regime of vitamins A and E on fertility and hatchability was investigated in Anak 2000 breeders. Vitamin A and E individually administered at a dose rate of 0.125 ml/kg body weight intramuscularly produced an improvement in hatchability, fertility, and sperm quality. The percentage fertility (46%) and hatchability (40.5%) before vitamin A&E  administration was compared to those of fertility (76.9%) and hatchability (76.8%) after vitamin administration and found to be statistically significant at p<0.05. From the findings of this study, we can therefore postulate that intramuscular administration of vitamin A and E during acute episode of nutritional hypovitaminosis provokes a quick and prompt response in birds &nbsp