Reproductive and Growth Performance of the Cricetoma (Crycetomys gambianus) under Captivity

Studies were conducted on the reproductive and growth performance of the cricetoma (Cricetomys gambianus) under captivity in Dschang, Cameroon from January 1999 to March 2002. A total of 80 newborns recorded from 25 births of 28 giant rats (10 males and 18 females) were used in the study. No births were recorded for the heavy rainy season months (June, July and August) while the highest number of births were recorded in the dry season months of January, April and November to December. The age at sexual maturity for males and females was 7 and 7-8 months respectively. The gestation length, sex ratio (male/female), litter size and preweaning mortality were 30.0 1.58 d, 1.2/1, 3.2 0.19 and 42.50% respectively. There was a linear increase of the mean litter size with parity. Mismothering and cannibalism as causes of mortality amounted to more than half of the percentage of total causes while more than 80% of the mortalities recorded were in the first ten days of birth (stillbirth inclusive). The weaning and mature weights for males was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than for females while no significant (P> 0.05) differences were observed in the mean daily weight gains from birth to weaning and to 12 months of age. The results reveal that considerable improvements in productivity for these species could be achieved with a reduction in preweaning mortality

Enquête sur l'élevage traditionnel volailles au Cameroun

Enquête sur l'élevage traditionnel volailles au Cameroun. A survey was conducted in three ecological zones of Cameroon to analyse some technical and socio-economic parameters of traditional chickens farming which gives about 60 % of the national poultry meat production. From the results obtained, it appears that rural poultry farming is essentially a women and children business (79 %) and the indigenous bush chicken is the dominant species. The productivity of traditional poultry is low and high mortality is recorded as a result of diseases and predators. Traditional medicine is widely used for poultry disease control in this production system and should be more deeply studied

L'incidence du calendrier agricole sur l'élevage des petits ruminants dans une zone densément peuplée : cas des Hauts-Plateaux de l'ouest Cameroun

The Incidence of the Cropping Season on the Breeding of Small Ruminants in a Densily Populated Area : Case of the Western Highlands in Cameroon. Under the combined effect of high population density and the introduction of a second cropping season in the Western Highlands of Cameroon, the agricultural land, including marginal land, is cultivated ail year round. The utilization of collective pastures for the production of staple food and the impossibility for small ruminants farmers to set their animals free for at least part of the year like in the pass, call for the adoption of a new management strategy for these animals. A production system including the permanent confinement of animals seems inevitable for the survival of this activity. However, the success of this transformation process in the management of small ruminant must be accompanied by an improvement in housing, feeding as well as genetic improvement of the existing animal material

The Production Performance of Broiler Birds as Affected by the Replacement of Fish Meal by Maggot Meal in the Starter and Finisher Diets

The effect of replacing fish meal with maggot meal in the starter and grower-finisher diets on the production performances of broiler chickens was studied. For both the starter and the grower-finisher periods, total weight gain in the control group receiving exclusively fish meal was significantly (P< 0.05) lower than that of birds receiving the diet containing the largest amount of maggot meal. No significant difference (P> 0.05) was detected among treatment groups for feed conversion ratio for both the starter and grower-finisher periods. No significant difference was detected among treatment groups for either hot carcass yield or proportion of different parts of the carcass, although increasing the amount of maggot meal in the diet tended to increased proportion of liver and gizzard. Although no significant difference was recorded among treatment groups for the feed cost for the production of one kg of live weight, there was a 4 to 16% reduction in cost of production as compared to the control group for both the starter and the grower-finisher periods. It was concluded that from the technical and economic point of view, maggot meal could replace fish meal, but that the earlier should be analysed for toxicity before it could be widely used for broiler chicken feeding

Evaluation de l'efficacité des extraits aqueux de graines de papaye (Carica papaya L.) dans le traitement de la coccidiose caecale à Eimeria tenella chez le poulet de chair

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Aqueous Extracts of Papaw Seeds (Carica papaya L.) for the Treatment of Caecum Eimeria tenella Coccidiosis in Broiler Chicken. A study was carried out to study the efficiency of aqueous extracts of papaw seeds for the treatment of caecum Eimeria tenella coccidiosis in broiler chicken. Eighty eight 37-day old caged ISA15 VEDETTE broiler chickens were inoculated with a suspension of 3500 ± 1050 E. tenella oocysts/ml. The birds then divided into 4 groups of 22 birds received 10 days later either 0 (D0 dose), 10 (D10 dose), 20 (D20 dose) or 40 g/l (D40 dose) of aqueous extracts of papaw seeds. Mortality rates of 45.5%, 34.8%, 18.2% and 9.1% were recorded for D0, D10, D20 and D40 groups respectively. As compared to infestation rate before treatment, the reduction rate of the number of oocysts/g of faeces was respectively 6.6%, 42.8%, 73.6% and 91.8% for D0, D10, D20 and D40. Average daily weight gain was 42.7 g, 47.8 g, 69.8 g and 86 g for treatments D0, D10, D20 and D40, respectively while average weekly feed efficiency ratio values of 3.9, 4.1, 2.4 and 1.9 were respectively recorded for D0, D10, D20 and D40 treatments. Aqueous extracts of papaw seeds seemed to be efficient in the treatment of caecum E. tenella coccidiosis in broiler chickens