RABBIT PRODUCTION USING LOCAL RESOURCES AS FEEDSTUFFS IN THE TROPICS

This review discusses the findings of existing research surrounding the nutritional impact of some forages as well as leaf and seed meals that were incorporated in rabbit diets, furthermore the importance of dietary fiber to improve the digestive health for growing rabbits. Optimum growth performance can be achieved by feeding forages or leaf meals with concentrates in the rabbit diets. Tropical plants contain appreciable amount of protein, fat, minerals and carbohydrates that can support growth and production, however much of these plants contain also anti-nutritional factors which have negative effects on digestion or absorption of nutrients. The review revealed that different forages inclusion levels enhance rabbit production and can help overcome the protein intake deficiency in developing countries. Therefore, the utilization of forage plants as well as tropical grasses and legumes for rabbit feeding is recommended

EFFECT OF INDOOR AND FREE-RANGE RAISING SYSTEMS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF MALE RHODE ISLAND RED CHICKENS

Background. Rustic birds such as Rhode Island Red are adapted to the tropical environmental conditions. Raising them using free range in the tropics improve meat quality. However, the production cost is high when males are used for meat production, due to their low feed efficiency. Objective. To assess growth performance of Rhode Island Red male chickens as affected by indoor vs. outdoor housing systems between 7 to 14 weeks of age. Methodology. One hundred and twenty male chickens were allotted in two different housing systems: indoors vs. outdoor with acces to a free-range pasture of native plants. The experimental diet in growing stage (7-14 weeks of age) included processed Mucuna pruriens (soaked and cooked) in 15 % of the diet. For data analysis, a generilized linear model was used with repeated measures at different ages, considering effects of treatment, week and the interaction between both. The study of the whole experimental period considered the fixed effect of trial and liveweight at the start of the test as covariable. Results. Week was the most consistent effect, and treatment only affected feed intake, with values of 91.99 vs. 87.54 g/bird/day in indoor vs outdoor, respectively. There was only interaction between treatment and week in weight gain. For the whole period, there were no differences due to the housing systems for the variables under study. Nevertheless, initial live weight affected weight gain and conversion. Implication. Alternative raising systems for rustic birds in the tropics can be an option for small and middle producers, where animal welfare and feed costs improve. Conclusion. The productive behavior in Rhode Island Red male chickens is not modified by the raising system

In vitro AND in vivo ANTHELMINTIC EFFECT OF Coffea arabica RESIDUES AGAINTS AN Haemonchus contortus ISOLATE WITH LOW SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TANNINS

The present study evaluated in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic (AH) effect of the percolated by-product of Coffea arabica against a Haemonchus contortus isolate with low susceptibility to tannins. Firstly, the susceptibility to tannins of Paraíso H. contortus isolate was evaluated with the in vitro larval exsheathment inhibition assay (LEIA) using an acetone:water (70:30) extract of Acacia pennatula. Afterwards, the in vitro AH effect of acetone:water extracts of percolated C. arabica by-products (Clean and Smooth (CS) and Shade Grown (SG) Starbucks®) were evaluated. Then, the in vivo AH effect was determined in growing sheep (4 months old and 15.2 kg bodyweight), infected with H. contortus (Paraiso isolate) and fed with a diet containing the percolated by-product of C. arabica. Three experimental groups were formed (n = 6 lambs): GC Group (control diet without C. arabica), GCA Group (feed containing 10% C. arabica) and, GCA+PEG (polyethilenglycol) Group (feed with 10% C. arabica + PEG as a tannin inhibitor). Fecal samples were obtained daily from the rectum of lambs (days 1 to 20 of the study). The H. contortus isolate tolerated the A. pennatula extract at concentrations of 150 and 300 μg extract/ml PBS (P > 0.05), which confirmed its low susceptibility to tannins. The C. arabica CS extract reduced the exsheatment from 150 μg of extract/ml PBS and the SG variety from 1200 μg of extract/ml PBS (P0.05). In conclusion, the C. arabica percolated by-product extracts showed in vitro AH effect against exsheathment. However, the consumption of feed containing 10% of the percolated by-product did not show an in vivo AH effect in sheep infected with the Paraiso H. contortus isolate. The latter could be due to the low susceptibility towards the secondary compounds of tannin rich plants of the H. contortus isolate used in this study

Comparing body condition score and FAMACHA© to identify hair-sheep ewes with high faecal egg counts of gastrointestinal nematodes in farms under hot tropical conditions

Data from a targeted selective treatment (TST) survey in three sheep farms was used to compare body condition scores (BCS) ≤ 2 and FAMACHA© scores ≥4 or ≥3 as criteria to identify ewes with ≥ 750 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG), and to confirm whether that EPG threshold allowed maintaining a large proportion of animals with no anthelmintic (AH) treatment. The survey included monthly data from all grazing adult ewes in three commercial farms. Farms 1 and 3 were surveyed for 11 months, and Farm 2 for 6 months, with a total of 7342 events recorded. Mean monthly population consisted of 330 ewes (Farm 1), 129 ewes (Farm 2) and 265 ewes (Farm 3). The FAMACHA© scores and BCS of adult ewes were recorded monthly. Ewes with FAMACHA© ≥ 4 or BCS ≤ 2 were faecal sampled to determine faecal egg counts (FEC) (2788 events). Ewes with ≥ 750 EPG were treated with an AH (658 events). The TST survey showed that BCS ≤ 2 was the best criteria to find ewes with FEC ≥ 750 EPG, with 1.1% false negatives. Meanwhile, FAMACHA© ≥4 or ≥3 failed to identify half of the events with ≥ 750 EPG (50–55% false negatives). Thus, the TST scheme could focus on screening ewes with BCS ≤ 2, and the FEC of those animals can avoid unnecessary AH treatments. The TST scheme was easier to implement at the farm with largest ratio of ewes with BCS > 2, as fewer ewes were sampled and treated, compared to farms where many ewes had BCS ≤ 2. In the surveyed farms a threshold of ≥ 750 EPG resulted in 63.5% of all ewes maintained with no AH treatment for the duration of the survey.Los datos de una encuesta de tratamiento selectivo dirigido (TST) en tres granjas de ovejas se usaron para comparar puntajes de condición corporal (BCS) ≤ 2 y puntajes de FAMACHA © ≥4 o ≥3 como criterios para identificar ovejas con ≥ 750 huevos por gramo de heces (EPG) ), y para confirmar si ese umbral de EPG permitió mantener una gran proporción de animales sin tratamiento antihelmíntico (AH). La encuesta incluyó datos mensuales de todas las ovejas adultas que pastan en tres granjas comerciales. Las granjas 1 y 3 fueron encuestadas durante 11 meses, y la granja 2 durante 6 meses, con un total de 7342 eventos registrados. La población mensual promedio consistió en 330 ovejas (Granja 1), 129 ovejas (Granja 2) y 265 ovejas (Granja 3). Los puntajes FAMACHA © y BCS de ovejas adultas se registraron mensualmente. Las ovejas con FAMACHA © ≥ 4 o BCS ≤ 2 se tomaron muestras fecales para determinar el recuento de huevos fecales (FEC) (2788 eventos). Las ovejas con ≥ 750 EPG fueron tratadas con un AH (658 eventos). La encuesta TST mostró que BCS ≤ 2 fue el mejor criterio para encontrar ovejas con FEC ≥ 750 EPG, con 1.1% de falsos negativos. Mientras tanto, FAMACHA © ≥4 o ≥3 no pudieron identificar la mitad de los eventos con ≥ 750 EPG (50-55% de falsos negativos). Por lo tanto, el esquema TST podría centrarse en la detección de ovejas con BCS ≤ 2, y la FEC de esos animales puede evitar tratamientos innecesarios de AH. El esquema TST fue más fácil de implementar en la granja con la mayor proporción de ovejas con BCS> 2, ya que se muestrearon y trataron menos ovejas, en comparación con las granjas donde muchas ovejas tenían BCS ≤ 2. En las granjas encuestadas resultó un umbral de ≥ 750 EPG en el 63.5% de todas las ovejas mantenidas sin tratamiento AH durante la duración de la encuesta