GROWTH STIMULATING EFFECTS OF ASPILIA AFRICANA FED TO FEMALE PSEUDO-RUMINANT HERBIVORES (RABBITS) AT DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGICAL STATES

Background: In recent times, there has been a significant short fall between the production and supply of animal protein to meet the ever increasing population. To meet the increasing demand for animal protein, there is need to focus attention on the production of livestock whose nutritional requirement does not put much strain on the limited sources of feed ingredients to which men subscribe. An example of such livestock is rabbit. Rabbit is a pseudo-ruminant herbivore which utilizes much undigested and unabsorbed feed materials as sources of nutrient for maintenance and production. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding Aspilia africana as forage on the growth rates of female pseudo-ruminant herbivores (rabbits) at different physiological states. Method: Thirty (30) dutch breed rabbit does of 5 – 6 months of age were used for the experiment which was conducted in a completely randomized design for a period of four (4) months. The rabbits were divided into three treatment groups, ten (10) does per treatment group; which consisted of mixed forages (Centrosema pubescens (200g), Panicum maximum (200g) and Ipomea batatas leaves (100g) without Aspilia africana (T1; control), fresh Aspilia africana (500g/doe/day) (T2) and wilted Aspilia africana (500g/doe/day) (T3). Rabbits in all treatment groups received the same concentrate (300g/animal/day) throughout the period of the study and mixed forages from the commencement of the experiment till the does kindled. After parturition, fresh and wilted Aspilia africana were introduced in treatments 2 and 3 respectively, whereas the control group continued on mixed forages throughout the study. Conclusion: The result of the study revealed that the initial average body weight of the rabbit does was 1.74kg. At mating and gestation periods, the body weights of the does in T2 was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the rest. There were no significant differences (P<0.05) in the body weights of does at kindling between the various treatment groups. During the physiological states of lactation, weaning and re-mating, the control group (T1) had significantly lower body weight than those of the treated groups (T2 and T3). Furthermore, T2 had significantly higher body weight than T3. The study revealed that Aspiliaafricana; particularly the fresh leaves have greater growth stimulating effects when fed to pseudoruminants (rabbits), thereby enhancing body weights of does during lactation and weaning

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

A Survey of Gastrointestinal Helminthes of Local Chickens in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Rural Poultry as practiced by the rural population is both for consumption and for income generation during festive seasons. The practice of allowing the birds to scavenge for food in the neighbourhood exposes them to disease. This research was an active surveillance of worms which parasitize these rural birds using saturated the salt floatation method. Two hundred sterile samples of the faeces of 200 rural birds were collected randomly from 10 villages in Abak Local government Area. These were transported immediately for analysis in the laboratory using floatation method with saturated salt solution. Viewing with X10 microscope it was discovered that out of the 200 samples examined for helminthes, Ascaris gallinarium was found in 92 samples or (46%), Heterakis Spp was seen with 62 0r 31% positions, Capillaria Spp was 58 or 29% and Strongyles Spp was 46 or 23%. The least was Raillietina Spp which was found in only 22 (11%). This study to the best of my knowledge is the first attempt to research into the types of worm parasites found in local birds, though it has been conducted in other parts of Nigeria and the World over. It was concluded that there is a light prevalence of helminthes in Abak in rural birds, which will lead to high loses. This we advice for educate the rural community in better husbandry practice to preserve the rural poultry population

RABIES IN A TWO -AND -A-HALF MONTH

Rabies has no cure but can be prevented through vaccination. It is a disease of zoonotic importance. It is believed that maternal immunity protects dogs up to and about 3 months of age thereafter they have to be given vaccination that will protect them against the disease. An unvaccinated bitch with anti rabies vaccination will not confer on her puppies any immunity against rabies virus infection

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

Determinants of Credit Access and Demand among Poultry Farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Aims: The study examined the determinants of access and demand for credit among poultry farmers in Ikot Ekpene area of Akwa Ibom State in Southern Nigeria. Study Design: A multi-stage random sampling technique was employed to select 90 poultry farmers. Structured questionnaires and personal interviews were used to collect cross sectional data used in the study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district of Akwa Ibom state in Southern Nigeria. Methodology: Independent double hurdle model was specified and used to determine factors influencing credit accessibility and demand among poultry farmers in the study area. Various tests were conducted to validate the used of the model. The variance inflation factor (VIF) was also employed to test the multi-collinearity among variables used in the analysis. Results: Empirical result from the first hurdle model revealed that the farmers’ age, gender, farm size, membership of social organization, extension agent visits, distance from the borrower’s (farmer) resident to lending source, years of formal education and household size are important determinants of access to credit in the study area. On the other hand, the amount of loan demanded by the poultry farmers was significantly influenced by the farmers’ experience in poultry business, cost of hired labour, previous years of experience on credit, present of surety, farm size, perceived loan repayment period, years of formal education and net farm income. Conclusion: poultry farmers in the study area should form cooperative societies to take advantage of ease of accessing and obtaining credit from credit institutions. The extension system in the study area should be strengthened for effective information dissemination especially on credit issues. Operators of credit institutions should endeavor to locate some of the lending outfits nearer to the poultry farmers. Also, to increase the demand for credit in the study area, the study advocated for the re-assessment of the collateral needs of the lending agents and the duration of loan to the poultry farmers among others