Influence of crop residue ration supplementation on the attainment of puberty and postpartum reproductive activities of Red Sokoto goats

The general objective of this study was to come up with an appropriate, affordable and locally available crop residue supplementation package that would enhance reproductive performance in small ruminants. Specifically, 28 Red Sokoto weaner does between 3 and 4 months of age weighing between 2 and 3 kg were used in the first experiment to determine the influence of crop residue supplementation on age and weight at puberty as determined by blood progesterone levels. In the second experiment, another 28 adult does (equal to or greater than 2 years old) of the same breed in the same flock with lactation numbers between 1 and 3 were used to determine the length of postpartum acyclic period. In both experiments, a 3 x 2 factorial experimental design comprising three dietary supplements (A, B, C) at two feeding levels (1% and 2% of body weight) fed in addition to a basal diet of Digitaria smutsii hay and natural pasture ad libitum with an unsupplemented negative control group (D) and four goats per treatment was utilized. In ration A, a conventional concentrate supplement consisting of maize, wheat offal, cottonseed cake and bonemeal was utilized; in rations B and C, the supplement consisted of guinea-corn bran, cowpea husk and groundnut haulms; and maize offal, groundnut shells and groundnut haulms respectively. Unsupplemented (ration D) weaner does reached puberty at a later age and had lighter body weights than all the others. Weaner does on ration 2A (concentrate fed at 2% of body weight) attained puberty at the earliest age and heaviest body weight, although the age at puberty was not significantly different from those on rations 1A (concentrate fed at 1% body weight), 1C and 2C. Blood progesterone profiles before and after puberty ranged from 0.05 to 9.0 ng/ml, respectively, and was highest in does fed rations A and C and least in the unsupplemented does. The mean interval between kidding and initiation of ovarian activity was 54.28 plus or minus 17.61 days and the mean interval between kidding and conception was 63.04 plus or minus 25.34 days. Only 25% of the unsupplemented does conceived again during the period under study compared with 100% in rations 1A, 2A, 1C and 2C; 75% in ration 2B and 50% in ration 1B. It was concluded that implementation of supplementary feeding in the dry season improves reproductive performance in the Red Sokoto doe. Furthermore, ration C, a crop residue-based ration, was a suitable dry season supplementation alternative to the expensive conventional concentrate ration for the smallholder goat farmer in the subhumid tropics of Nigeria

Concentration of selected heavy metals in the hair, kidneys and livers of cattle and goats raised on in the oil and non – oil producing areas of Delta State

This study evaluated the levels of selected heavy metals namely: lead cadmium, mercury and chromium in the hair, kidneys and livers of cattle and goats reared on oil producing and non oil producing areas of Delta state, Nigeria. Samples of hair, kidneys and livers were collected from four purposively selected local government areas in four replicates, oven dried and digested with 20 mL of a 1:3 mixture of concentrated perchloric acid (HClO4) and trioxonitrate (v) acid (HNO3). A completely randomized design was used for the the study. Results showed that mean concentration (mg/kg) of lead in the hair (0.049) of cattle from the oil producing areas varied significantly from those of kidney (0.033) and liver (0.021). While mean lead concentration values showed non - significant variations in the organs obtained from cattle and goats in non oil-producing areas. Cadmium values (mg/kg) ranged from 0.010 to 0.045 in cattle and from 0.000 to 0.029 in goats with significant variations between the organs. Mean values of mercury concentration (mg/kg) in cattle were between 0.053 to 0.078 and 0.052 to 0.056 in goats from theoil producing areas. Mercury concentration in the organs of cattle in the non- oil producing areas varied significantly. Chromium concentration (mg/kg) of organs in cattle from the oil producing areas varied from 0.019 to 0.024 and 0.010 to 0.030 in the non -oil producing areas. Mean concentration in the hair, kidney and liver (0.010 - 0.046 mg/kg) of goats in both the oil producing areas and non - oil producing areas did not vary significantly. Also, in cattle, the effect of oil exploration was significant in the concentration of cadmium (0.016 vs 0.043) and chromium (0.016 vs 0.022) in the kidney as well as cadmium (0.010 vs 0.045), Hg (0.031 vs 0.053) and chromium (0.010 vs 0.019) in the liver. In goats, it was significant in the concentration of cadmium in the hair (0.000 vs 0.056) likewise mercury in the kidney (0.031 vs 0.055) of cattle as well as in the hair and liver of goats. Generally, the heavy metals were below or within the tolerable limits set by some regulatory bodies.Keywords: Heavy metals, hair, organs, maximum tolerant