Performance of Rabbit Fed Hausa Potato Tuber (Solenostemon rotundifolium) Meal (HPTM) at Graded Levels as Substitute to Maize

Twenty-four (24) crossbred (New Zealand Red X Chinchilla) rabbit aged 4 – 6 weeks made up of mixed sexes with average initial body weight of (1.82kg and 1.83kg) were used to evaluate the effect of different levels of Hausa potato tuber meal (HPTM) inclusion on their feed intake and growth performance. The rabbits were randomly allotted to four groups of six rabbits per group. Each group was replicated three times in a completely randomized design with each replicate having two (2) rabbits. The groups were fed diets containing 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% HPTM respectively and designated treatment I, II, III and IV respectively. The chemical composition of the test ingredient was determined prior to its inclusion in  the diets. Data were collected on final body weight, average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. All data were subjected to one way analysis of variance. There were no significant (P>0.05) difference in the above listed parameters. Rabbits fed diets III and IV is significantly (P<0.05) higher than rabbits fed diets II in average daily feed intake, while rabbits fed diets I were statistically similar to those fed diets III and IV. The results suggest that 30% replacement of maize with Hausa potato tuber meal (HPTM) did not have any deleterious effects on the growth performance of rabbits and that the general trend showed that there was increase in growth of the experimental animal with increase in the level of Hausa potato tubers meal (HPTM).Keywords: Solenostemon rotundifolium meal, growth performance, crossbred rabbit

Growth performance, haematological and serum biochemistry of broiler chickens fed Taro Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) peel meal as feed ingredient

Growth performance, haematology and serum biochemistry of broiler chickens fed taro cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) peel meal (CRM) as feed ingredient was investigated using 150 one week-old Ross strain broiler birds. The birds were randomly assigned to five (5) dietary treatment groups having three (3) replicates with 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Diet I was maize based and served as control diet. The test material replaced maize at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% in diets II, III, IV and V respectively. Water and each of the diet were offered ad-labium for a period of 56 days (8 weeks). That is the first seven days, the birds were fed commercial feed to stabilize them and thereafter place on their respective experimental diets. The result of the growth performance showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05) in the mean final live weights, mean weight gain, mean daily weight gain, mean daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. The mean final live weights, mean weight gain g/bird and mean daily weight gain (g) followed the same trend with birds fed diets I and II are the same but statistically similar to birds fed diets III and IV but differ from birds fed diet V. Birds fed Diets III and IV are statistically similar to birds fed diet V. Daily feed intake increased (P<0.05) with the level of cocoyam peels meal in the diet. Feed conversation ratio result for diet I was comparable to broilers on diet II. The parameters evaluated under biochemistry indices showed no significant effect for alkaline phosphate and creatinine, while results for diet III in total protein, albumin and urea were comparable to the control diet. Haematological indices like Hb, PVC and MCHC were not significantly affected by the diets but diet II was similar to control diet in all the parameters evaluated. Economic analysis showed that there were significant differences in all the parameters except in feed cost/bird and price/kg live weight. Cost/kg of feed was lowest for diet V followed by diets IV, III, II, I; due to the lower cost of Taro cocoyam when compared to maize in the control diet. Cost/kg weight gain favoured diet I followed by diets II and III, lastly diet IV and V. Finally, considering the growth performance, biochemical indices (especially albumin and urea), hematological indices and feed cost analysis (especially gross margin), diet II (5%) is recommended. Keywords: Cocoyam Peel Meal, Broiler Chickens, Serum Biochemistry, Haematolog

Potentials of replacing soybean meal with toasted African yam bean meal on growth performance of broiler finisher birds

Eighty-four (84) Anak finisher broilers were used to evaluate the potentials of replacing soybean meal with toasted african yam bean meal on growth performance of broiler finisher birds. There were twenty one (21) birds in each treatment and seven birds per replicated. Four treatment diets were formulated for the experiment. They were assigned as treatment I, II, III and IV respectively. Treatment I (0%) is the soybean based diet while Treatment II (25%), III (50%) and IV (75%) had quantitative replacement of soybean by toasted African yam beans Meal (TAYB). The parameters evaluated showed significant differences (P<0.05) apart from initial body weight. Final body weight and daily weight gain (g) followed almost the same pattern. Finisher broiler chicks fed the control diet (0%AYB) and diet containing 25% toasted African yam bean were statistically similar but birds fed diet II (25%) was significantly different from those fed diets III (50%) and IV (75%). The high final body weight (g) and daily weight gain (g) in diet containing 25% toasted African yam bean (TAYB) meal suggest a better feed utilization. The feed intake increased as quantity of toasted African yam beans (TAYB) meal (test ingredient) increase in the diets. The feed conversion ratio for diet II (25% AYB) and III (50% AYB) were significantly lower than diet I (0% AYB) and IV (75% AYB). Decreasing feed production cost (₦/kg) (70.62, 65.51, 60.41 and 53.32) was observed as inclusion level of toasted African yam beans (TAYB) meal increased from 0 to 75%. Broilers earlier fed 25% toasted African yam bean meal (TAYB) diet at starter stage of life, could continue with a 50% (TAYB) diet up to finisher stage without any adverse affect on growth performance.Keywords: Finisher Broiler, Growth Performance and Toasted African Yam Bean Mea

Quantitative replacement of soybean meal with toasted African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) meal in broiler starter diets

Eighty-four Anak broilers were used to study the effect of quantitative replacement of toasted soybean meal (TSBM) with toasted African yam bean (TAYB) meal in broiler starter diet. The experimental design was completely randomized design (CRD). There were four treatments each replicated three times with seven broilers per replicate. The inclusion levels of toasted African yam bean meal in diets were 0, 25, 50 and 75% in treatments I, II, III, and IV respectively. The parameters measured were final live weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and cost/kg feed. Results showed that the starter broilers fed treatment IV diet had significantly (P<0.05) lower final live weight (592g) than those fed treatments III (631.66g), II (656g) and I (670g) diets. Daily weight gain followed the same trend as in final live weight. The feed intake of treatments IV (1241.66g) and III (1235.00g) diets were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of treatments I (1222.66g) and II (1225.33g) diets. Starter broilers fed treatment IV diet had significantly (P<0.05) higher feed conversion ratio (2.10) than those fed treatment III having (1.95) which was also significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of treatments II (1.87) and I (1.28). Finally, parameters evaluated showed no significant different (P>0.05) between starter broilers fed treatment I and treatment II. From the result, one can conclude that 25% AYB (treatment II) compared favourably with the control diets 0% AYB in starter broiler diets and is hereby recommended as optimal for quantitative replacement of soybean in broiler starter diet.Key words: Broiler Starter diet, African Yam Bean, Soyabean replacemen

A six-component model for assessing procedural fairness in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

This article provides an analysis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) focusing on procedural justice. I demonstrate how, to what end, and with what effects questions of justice and procedural fairness matter in the IPCC work. Then, with the aim to advance critical research, policy and practice on this important subject, I draw on scholarship from social psychology and legal procedures along with socio-political literature on the IPCC to construct a unique six-component framework for evaluating procedural fairness in the IPCC. These include: (i) formal rules about representation and participation; (ii) formal rules about governance and management structure; (iii) formal rules relating to decision making processes; (iv) formal rules on fair treatment of authors; (v) informal quality of decision making rules by authorities; and (vi) informal quality of the interactional environment. Systematic assessment is required to validate the six-component procedural justice model and to reveal existing strengths of, and areas for improvements for, the IPCC procedure

Adolescents’ Awareness and Attitude towards Disordered Eating in Imo State

The study investigated on the knowledge and attitude of secondary school students towards discovered eating. A sample of 300 students from sixsecondary schools was randomly selected in Owerri Municipal. A questionnaire titled QSKATDE was developed, structured and validated (r = 0.80). Four research questions and one null hypothesis were formulated for the study statistical weighted mean was used to answer the research questions and t-test was used in testing the null hypothesis. The results showed that the adolescents have poor knowledge of various forms of disordered eating; they know little about the effects of disordered eating. There is a significant difference in the boys and girls knowledge and attitude towards disordered eating. Based on the findings, recommendations were made

Neo-Gramscianism

Gramscian concepts have been utilized by scholars to analyze and illuminate various aspects of GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE. A foremost application of neo-Gramscianism to the scholarship on global environmental governance has been in challenging the basic premise of orthodox regime theory that international environmental rule-making is the exclusive preserve of state actors. Gramscian theory is very sensitive to the role and importance of political contestations, accommodations and compromises, which many have noted as the ‘stuff’ of environmental governance. Crucially, while a Gramscian analysis is sensitive to the counter-hegemonic potential of the subordinate class and the ever contested and changing contours of power in a social regime, it does not subscribe to the unlimited possibility of outcome. Given the utility of neo-Gramscian ideas, as demonstrated by the scholarship discussed, it is surprising that the approach has not been deployed more widely in the scholarship on global environmental governance

Business

This main argument of the chapter is that the explanation of the slow pace of business action requires a socio-cultural theory that transcends the narrow premises of dominant corporate social responsibility (CRS) and business management approaches. I assert that only a critical political economy approach which captures the complex interplay between cultural ideas, power, politics, and economic interests can provide basis for explaining the prospects and limits of corporate climate governance. My argument, which draws from similar existing works (Levy and Egan 2003, Levy and Newell 2005, Okereke et al. 2009) is focused on carbon-intensive multinational companies (MNCs) whose activities are generally considered crucial in shaping societal response to climate change (McKibben 2012)