Nigerian Journal of Animal Science and Technology (NJAST)

Yayi, J Effect of Yeast and Organic Acid (Biotronic® Top Forte) on the Gut Microbiota of Broiler Chickens

2025-10-08T09:55:16+00:00

Abstract

This study was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Kaduna State University to determine the effects of yeast and organic acid (Biotronic^® top forte) as feed additives on the gut microbiota of broiler chickens. One hundred and twenty day-old-broiler chicks obtained from a reputable hatchery were used. The birds were randomly shared into four treatments, each containing three replicates: T1 (control), T2 (yeast), T3 (organic acid) and T4 (yeast and organic acid). Six faecal samples were collected from each treatment (2 chickens/replicate) at the end of a six-week experimental period. Data were analysed using ANOVA in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that there was a significant (p<0.05) difference between T1 and T4 for the Total Bacterial Count (TBC), with T1 (5.12±4.46 logCFU/g) having the highest value and T4 (4.74±4.91 logCFU/g) the lowest. The results obtained for Total Coliform Count (TCC) showed no significant (p>0.05) difference among treatments. The results obtained for Total Non-Coliform Count (TNCC) showed a significant (p<0.05) difference between T1 and T2 with T1 (5.11±4.46 logCFU/g) having the highest value and T2 (4.87±4.10 logCFU/g) showing lowest value, suggesting that supplementing the feed with yeast can reduce TNCC. It was also observed that E. coli was not detected in T3 and T4, treatments containing organic acid, suggesting that organic acid may have bactericidal properties against E. coli. It was concluded from the study that supplementing broiler feed with yeast and organic acid as growth promoters does not negatively affect the gut microbiota of broiler chickens.

A. O. Abdulraheem Genetic Relationship Between External and Internal Egg Quality Traits of Japanese Quails

2025-10-08T09:55:16+00:00

This work investigated genetic relationships between external and internal egg quality characteristic of Japanese quails reared at Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri. Borno state. A total of 440 eggs produced by 110 quail hens, were used for egg quality traits analysis. Quails were grouped into young-laying (10 weeks old) and old-laying (20 weeks old). Variance and covariance components and genetic correlations were estimated using Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) procedures. The genetic correlations for egg quality traits of young- and old-laying were low to high (0.05 to 0.97, -0.01 to -0.74; 0.01 to 0.98, -0.02 to -0.83). The highest positive estimate (0.97) was recorded for yolk height and shell weight and least 0.05 between egg shape index and albumen length. Negative co-efficient was highest (-0.74) between albumen weight and shell ratio in young-laying group, indicating that shell ratio would have antagonistic effect on improvement of albumen weight. For old-laying quails, positive correlation was highest (0.98) for egg and albumen weight, implying that, heavy eggs would have large albumen. Highest negative correlation (-0.83) observed between shell and albumen ratio indicates that eggs with large albumen laid by old quail would possess delicate shell quality. Egg weight of young-laying group had positive correlations with all internal qualities except Haugh unit (-0.11) and albumen index (-0.40); and except Haugh unit (-0.09) and yolk index (-0.20) in old-laying. These findings suggest that egg weight can be used to improve internal egg qualities in laying quails.

Olutunmogun, A.K Analysis of Body Weight and Egg Production Traits of Shikabrown® Grandparent Chickens after Long-Term Selection

2025-10-08T10:04:33+00:00

Abstract

This study analyzed performance of the sire and dam lines of ShikaBrown^® grandparent chickens after a long-term selection. This chicken breed had under gone different generation of selection on growth (body weight) and layer economic traits. The growth and egg production traits considered were body weight, age at first egg, egg weight, egg number and hen-day egg production. The estimation of genetic parameters was also analyzed from a previous pedigree data over five generations. The Least Square Means of combined body weights (cocks + hens) showed that the dam line had a significantly (p<0.05) heavier weight at day old (32.29g) than the sire line (30.29g) while at weeks 8 (576.2g vs 556.71g) and 16 (1684.44g vs 1579.0g), the sire line had a significant (p<0.05) higher body weights than the dam line. The egg production analyses showed that egg number and hen day percent were higher in the dam line in both short- and long-term analyses while sire line had higher egg weight average. The genetic correlation showed that egg number had a negative correlation with age at sexual maturity and egg weight averages in the generations considered. However, the genetic analyses of egg number with body weight were positively correlated in all generations for both lines. The positive genetic correlations suggest the usefulness of body weight as a selection criterion for genetic improvement of egg number in these lines of chickens while the negative genetic correlation which egg number had with ASM and EWTAV is an indication of interplay of similar gene flow or some other confounding factors during the selection for the traits.

Abba A Effect of Processed Hyacinth bean (Dolihos lablab) Seed Inclusion in diet on Hematological and Biochemical Indices of Red Sokoto Bucks

2025-10-08T11:14:51+00:00

Blood parameters constitute important panels in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of livestock diseases. This study is aimed at assessing the hematological and serum biochemical profile of Red Sokoto bucks fed processed hyacinth bean seed meal diets. A total of 24 apparently healthy Red Sokoto bucks were apportioned to four (4) dietary treatments in a completely randomized designed. Treatment one (T1) served as control group with 0% hyacinth bean seed meal inclusion, T2 (5% inclusion), T3 (10% inclusion) and T4 (15% inclusion). The blood samples of the animals were aseptically collected from the jugular vein at the beginning of the experiment and subsequently fortnightly for the period of 90 days. The results showed that, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in the Monocyte, Lymphocyte, Eosinophil, AST, ALT, ALP, Total protein, Albumin, Urea, Createnine, Sodium, Potassium and Bicarbonate levels between the control and treatment groups. However, no significant differences (P˃0.05) were recorded in the packed cell volume (PCV), Hemoglobin (Hb), Red blood cells (RBC), Bilirubin and Chloride levels in all the treatment groups, though all the values obtained fell within the normal range for clinically healthy goats. In conclusion, the utilization of processed hyacinth bean seed meal diets at different graded level (5%, 10% and 15%) had no deleterious effects on hematological and serum biochemical indices of the Red Sokoto bucks.

Faith, E.A Principal Component and Correlation Analyses of Body Weight and Biometric Traits of Noiler Chickens

2025-10-08T11:24:22+00:00

This study was designed to evaluate principal components and phenotypic correlations between body weight and biometric traits of Noiler chickens on deep litter system of management. The study was conducted at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm of the Livestock Complex of College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Lafia, Nasarawa State. A total of one hundred and forty (140), six (6) weeks old Noiler chickens comprising of sixty cocks (60) and eighty hens (80) were procured from various brood and sell farmers in Lafia. Traits measured were Body weight (BW), body length (BL), breast circumference (BC), thigh circumference (TC), foot length (FL), total leg length (TLL) and wing length (WL) on bi-weekly basis for two months. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to determine the relationships between body weight and biometric traits. Mean values of all the traits for male Noiler chickens were higher compared to their female counterparts. The value for Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy obtained for the male (0.85), female (0.83) and Bartlett test of Sphericity (0.00) were significant at chi-square of 1362.34 (male) and 1548.17(female). Two principal components PC1 and PC2 were extracted for male and female. PC1 (Eigenvalue male and female = 4.87 and 4.30) accounted for 69.4% and 61.9% and PC2 (Eigenvalue male and female = 0.72 and 1.08) accounted for 10.33% and 15.42% of total variance. In males, foot length (0.87) and body length (0.89) had larger proportion of variance for PC1 and PC2 while in females, thigh circumference (0.90) and body length (0.93) had larger proportion of variance for PC1 and PC2 and these traits could be of importance and useful for selection in genetic improvement programmes. There was positive correlation between body length and thigh circumference (male) and body length and foot length (female). Correlation may be useful as selection criterion because correlated variables are more likely to be governed by the action of the same gene.

Omogiade, C. L. Performance of Finisher Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented with fresh and In situ dried Pawpaw (Carica papaya) Leaf Meals.

2025-10-08T11:13:57+00:00

This study evaluated the growth performance of finisher broiler chickens fed diets with different forms of pawpaw (Carica papaya) leaf meal (PLM). Ninety-nine Ross-308 broiler chickens at 32 days of age were subjected to the dietary treatments of fresh and in situ dried PLM. The birds were subjected to three dietary treatments in groups of thirty-three birds each in a completely randomized design (CRD), with 3 replicates (11 birds). The diets were T1, the control diet (0% PLM), T2 (0.2% fresh dried PLM) and T3 (0.2% in situ dried PLM). The birds were given the experimental diets from 32 to 56 days of age. Performance indicators such as feed intake, Final Weight gain (WG), Average daily feed intake (FI), and Feed conversion ratio were determined. The results showed that birds subjected to the control diet (T1) had better performance in weight gain (1049.00 g) and final body weight (2514.33 g) than the other groups. This was followed by birds fed diets with in situ dried (T3) PLM, which had 985.30 g and 2449.77 g, respectively. T2 had the lowest final body weight of 2341.17 g. The Average daily feed intake (134.31 g) in the fresh dried PLM birds was significantly different (p > 0.05) than the control (156.07 g) and in situ group (155.36g). T1 had the best feed conversion ratio (3.14) compared to other treatments. The performance of the birds indicates that low levels of inclusion of PLM in the diets depressed their overall performance.

Umar, A.M. Nutritional Composition and Microbial Load of Skewed Meat (Tsire) in Dutse Metropolis, Jigawa State, Nigeria

2025-10-08T16:42:03+00:00

The study was conducted to determine the nutritional composition and microbial load of Skewed meat retailed at some designated locations in Dutse Metropolis, Jigawa State. The locally prepared samples were obtained from five locations viz, A, B, C, D and E and the experiment was laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Data generated were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests (p<0.05) was used to separate the differences between means. SAS software (version 20.0) was employed for all the analysis. The values obtained from the Nutritional Composition revealed significant (p<0.05) differences in all the parameters evaluated across the locations. Location D had the highest values of dry matter (70.40), crude protein (31.00), ether extract (36.00) and crude fibre (32.00), while least value of ash (6.00) was recorded in location B. Microbial load of Skewed Meat revealed significant (p<0.05) differences in bacterial (Cfu/g) and fungal (Cfu/g) load across the locations. Highest (1.92x10⁴) bacterial (Cfu/g) count was obtained from D while C recorded the least bacterial count (1.16x10⁴). Location D also recorded the highest count (4.27x10³) of fungal while B recorded the least fungal (1.77x10³). The results showed that the environment where skewed meat was prepared together with the meat processors and equipment could be sources of microbial contamination. There should be education of skewed meat processors in Dutse Metropolis on the hazards associated with unhygienic practices during skewed meat preparations.