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A 16-week trial evaluated the effects of ethanolic extract of Aspiliaafricana leaf (EeAaL) on the growth performance, carcass and egg characteristics of growing and laying quails. One hundred and eighty (180), one-week old Japanese quail chicks were assigned to six experimental diets (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10% EeAaL or 0.02% oxytetracycline). Each treatment had 30 birdswhich were further subdivided into three replicates of 10 birds. Each replicate was housed in a pen under the deep litter system; feed and water were provided ad libitum.Growth performance and egg characteristics(egg quantity and quality) indices were subjected to the one-way ANOVA in a completely randomized design (CRD). No significant (P>0.05) effect of EeAaL was observed between treatments on the final body weight and daily weight gains of quails. Feed conversion ratio (4.95 – 5.28) was significantly (P<0.05) improved in quails fed 2.5 – 7.5% EeAaL diets. Zero mortality was observed in quails fed 5 – 10% EeAaL diets compared to other treatments. EeAaL supplementation reduced (P<0.05) the amount of fat deposition in quail carcass, thus improving the carcass quality. The efficacy ofEeAaL was more pronounced in laying than growing quails where significant (P<0.05) differences were observed on some external and internal egg characteristics, whereas egg composition did not differ (P>0.05) between treatments. Egg number, hen day production, albumen weight,yolk weight, shell thickness and yolk colour were significantly improved following dietary EeAaL  upplementation, indicative of strong growth promoting and stimulatory effects.Therefore, for improved carcass and egg performances up to 7.5% EeAaL shoud be supplemented intoquail diets.Keywords: Leaf extract, growth rate, egg characteristics, bush marigold, quails

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The study evaluated the effect of prosopis Africana seed coat meal (PASCM) on the performance and carcass characteristics of three hundred (300) Nera brown layer chickens that were fed for a period of 39 weeks. The birds were randomly allotted to 5 experimental diets with 3 replications of 20 birds each. The diets were formulated with the inclusion of PASCM at 0, 15, 20, 25 and 30% levels for treatments T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively and the data collected were subjected to analysis of Variance in a completely randomized design. Results obtained showed that all the productive parameters were affected (P < 0.05) by the dietary treatments except mortality that was not affected (P > 0.05). Carcass parameters, carcass cut and internal organs were not affected (P > 0.05) by the dietary treatments however, GIT parts were affected (P < 0.05) by the diets. Performance indicators and carcass characteristics showed that 20% PASCM inclusion level resulted in optimum production and hence recommended for adoption.

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