The effect of the stage of maturity on the productivity, chemical composition, and ruminal degradability of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) leaves under irrigation was studied. Samples were collected at three stages of maturity, at intervals of four weeks starting from the fourth week until the twelfth week (AprilJuly) after sprouting and then harvested to determine biomass. The stages of maturity had significant effects on longest leaf length per plant and plant height, but had no effect on number of leaves per plant and number of tillers. Dry matter (DM) increased significantly with maturity, while crude protein (CP) and fat content decreased significantly, with no significant effect on acid detergent lignin (ADL), ash, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF). Maturity significantly decreased potassium, copper and sodium, while calcium and zinc increased significantly up to the intermediate stage, then declined toward the late stage of maturity. Maturity did not affect the magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and iron contents of the forage. Ruminal degradability of CP at 48, 72, 96 and 120 incubation hour decreased significantly with maturity, with no effect on all other incubation times for DM and CP. Maturity significantly decreased the soluble fraction (a) of DM, with no significant effect on other fractions of DM and CP. Effective degradability (%) of DM and CP decreased with maturity when the rate of passage increased from 2% to 8%. Napier forage should be harvested before maturity to retain its high nutrient content, and the degradability of DM and CP. ______________________________________________________________________________________

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The effect of feeding forage legumes, Cowpea, Silverleaf desmodium and Oxley fine stem stylo, as protein supplements to natural pasture (veld) hay on intake, growth rate and nitrogen metabolism in growing lambs was evaluated. Thirty growing lambs were stratified according to body weight and randomly assigned, within a stratum, to five diets in a completely randomised design. The diets were veld hay alone (V), veld hay supplemented with either 10 g/kg of urea (VU), veld hay supplemented with 250 g/kg Cowpea (VC), 250 g/kg Silverleaf desmodium (VS) or 250 g/kg Oxley fine stem stylo (VF) forage legume hays. The V and the VU groups were used as control diets. Animals supplemented with either urea or the forage legume had higher (P < 0.01) total dry matter intake compared with the animals on V. The animals supplemented with the forage legumes had higher (P < 0.01) nitrogen intake and faecal nitrogen output than the non-supplemented group. All animals, across the treatments, lost body weight; lambs on V had higher (P < 0.01) body weight losses than those in the other treatments. The forage legume supplemented groups lost less (P < 0.01) body weight than those on the V and VU diets. Although supplementation with forage legumes enhanced feed intake and reduced weight losses it did not maintain body weights of lambs fed a basal diet of poor quality roughages.

Ross 308 and Cobb Avian 48 broilers were used in a 49-day study. The effects of genotype, stocking density, and limited-time feeding on growth performance and carcass characteristics were investigated. Overall, Ross consumed more feed, gained more body weight, and was heavier at marketing age than Cobb. Ross also had a higher drumstick percentage, but the percentages of the other carcass parts were similar in the two genotypes. Birds reared at the stocking density of 30 kg BW/m(2) gained more body weight and were heavier at marketing than those raised at 40 kg BW/m(2), but both groups consumed similar quantities of feed and had similar carcass percentages. Neither genotype nor stocking density influenced feed conversion ratio and mortality rate, but genotype x stocking density interaction significantly affected feed consumption and mortality rate. The feed-restricted birds consumed less feed, gained less weight, were lighter at market age, and had lower percentages of breast, neck, and heart than the full-fed birds. Feed restriction also significantly lowered mortality rate but had insignificant effects on feed conversion ratio and percentages of carcass, breast, back, drumstick, neck, wing, gizzard, heart, liver, and abdominal fat. For profitable poultry production in the tropics and subtropics, it is recommended that Ross 308 raised at the stocking density of 30 kg BW/m(2) and subjected to 10-h daily feed removal from 7 to 35 days of age in a 49-day production period be considered.

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The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding a fibrolytic enzyme in combination with bacterial inoculants on the fermentation, chemical composition and aerobic stability of ensiled potato hash (PH). Potato hash silage (PHS) was produced by mixing 800 g PH/kg and 200g wheat bran (WB)/kg. The mixture was ensiled with either no additive or enzyme Celluclast (low or high dose) or bacterial inoculants (Emsilage and Silosolve). These treatment combinations were produced: i) no additive (control); ii) Celluclast low dose (CLD); iii) Celluclast high dose (CHD); iv) Emsilage (EMS); v) CLD + EMS; vi) CHD + EMS; vii) Silosolve (SLS); viii) CLD + SLS; and ix) CHD + SLS. These treatments were ensiled in 81 x 1 L anaerobic jars for 90 days with nine replicates per treatment. Three samples per treatment were collected before ensiling and after 90 days' ensiling, were analysed for fermentation characteristics and chemical composition. In addition, samples of day 90 were subjected to an aerobic stability test, where they were exposed for five days. Enzyme addition reduced fibre, thus making more sugar available for fermentation. The combination of CHD and EMS reduced silage pH, thus preserving the silage compared with other treatment combinations. Enzyme addition (used at low and high dose), and bacterial inoculants improved fermentation. Enzyme addition improved the chemical composition, but impaired the aerobic stability of PHS. Further work to test these findings on animal performance is warranted.