A feeding trial was conducted to study the performance, digestibility and health status of weaner rabbits fed diets including Alchornea cordifolia leaf meal (ALM: 18% crude protein [CP] and 12.9% crude fibre) and supplemented with a multi-enzyme additive (cellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase, α-amylase, protease, lipase). Six experimental diets were arranged factorially: 3 levels of ALM (0, 5 and 10% substituting palm kernel cake: 16.3% CP and 39.1% neutral detergent fibre) combined with 2 levels of enzyme supplementation (0 and 0.35 g/kg). One hundred and eighty healthy, 5-wk-old weaner rabbits of cross-breeds were randomly allotted to 6 dietary treatments (30 rabbits/treatment, 3 rabbits/replicate). Growth rate was not affected (P>0.05) by the main factors (exogenous enzyme and ALM inclusion) and their interactions (13.5 g/d on av.). Daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio decreased (P=0.01) with the ALM inclusion by 8%, but did not affect faecal digestibility. However, enzyme supplementation improved crude protein and crude fibre digestibility (P<0.001) by 6%. In conclusion, ALM inclusion and enzyme supplementation had no adverse effect on the performance and digestibility of rabbits.

The effect of the diet supplemented with leaf meals (LM) of neem (NLM), pawpaw (PLM), bamboo (BLM) and their composite leaf mix (CLM) on broiler chickens was assessed. Three hundred 1‐day old broiler chickens were distributed to five diets: (control/no LM), (5 g/kg NLM), (5 g/kg PLM), (5 g/kg BLM) and (5 g/kg NLM+PLM+BLM 1:1:1). Body weight gain of birds fed BLM and CLM supplemented diets were similar but higher (p < 0.05) than those fed the control, NLM and PLM supplemented diets at day 42. The glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels in LM supplemented diets were (p < 0.05) lower compared to the control. The superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were (p < 0.05) higher in LM supplemented diets compared to the control. The growth promoting potentials of bamboo leaf meal and the composite leaf mix can be harnessed for broiler chicken production. Practical applications The use of herbs as the growth promoter is currently gaining research attention in most countries. In particular, herbal supplementation in poultry diets had been proposed as a means of enhancing the performance, stabilizing the physiological state, boosting immunity and antioxidative status in the birds. This study showed that improved body weight gain of broiler chickens at 42 days of age with attendant low serum glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol can be achieved when leaf meals from neem, pawpaw, bamboo and their composite mix were used as phyto‐additives. The bamboo leaf meal and the composite leaf meal can be used to reduce the occurrence of arteriosclerosis which predisposes sudden death syndrome in well‐grown and healthy broiler chickens. The procedures of raising broiler chickens to reach about 3 kg in less than 2 months impose a heavy burden on the heart, particularly overloading on the ventricular arteries leading to arteriosclerosis with age.

No abstract

The nutritive potential of rumen liquor fermented cassava peels (RLFCP) was assessed in rabbit nutrition in an 8 weeks trial. The freshly collected droppings from layers were sundried, ground and mixed at 100 g/kg with ground cassava peels, sprayed with rumen filtrate and fermented for 144 hours. Thereafter, one basal diet was formulated to meet the nutrient requirement of a growing rabbit. The maize content (43 g/100 g) of the basal diet was replaced at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % with RLFCP and named as diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. One hundred and fifty mixed sexes healthy 5-weeks old crossbred weaner rabbits were randomly distributed among the five dietary treatments at a rate of 30 rabbits per treatment. The response criteria were growth indices, cost benefit, carcass and organ weight, blood and serum indices. While the average daily feed intake increased (49.27-58.00 g/rabbit/day) with an increased RLFCP inclusion, the average daily weight gain only increased (12.38-17.75 g/rabbit per day) when the increased RLFCP inclusion reached up to a 50 %. The feed conversion ratio of rabbits fed on the control and those fed on 25 % and 50 % RLFCP was similar (3.03-3.20) (p>0.05). Only the slaughtered weight (1116.50-1416.16 g), dressed weight (477.65-695.85 g), dressing % (42.77-50.14), relative weight (% slaughter weight) of the liver (2.18-2.57) and heart (0.20-0.23) were significantly (p

Three studies were conducted to evaluate the nutritive potential of Glyricidia leaf protein concentrate (GLPC) and Leucaena leaf protein concentrate (LLPC) in infant weaning foods. The first two trials evaluated 10 laboratory-formulated weaning foods, in which soybean meal (SBM) was replaced at levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% with either GLPC or LLPC, and subsequently compared them nutritionally with three commercial weaning foods (coded CFB, CFC and CFN) currently on sale in Nigeria in a 28 day feeding trial using weanling albino rats. Thereafter the best GLPC-and LLPC-based weaning foods, in terms of animal performance consistent with low cost of the foods (designated GL50 and LL25 respectively), were compared with the best commercial weaning food (CFB) in a 14 day rehabilitative potential trial using rats that had previously been protein depleted. In the first trial the final weight was highest in rats fed the 50% GLPC-based food (159.8 ± 9.5 g) and lowest in rats fed CFN (114.7 ± 9.7 g), while the feed efficiency was best in rats fed the 50% GLPC-based food and CFC and worst in rats fed the 100% GLPC-based food and CFN. The nitrogen retention (NR) did not differ significantly (P ≥ 0.05), while the apparent nitrogen digestibility (AND) and 'operative' protein efficiency ratio (PER) decreased with increasing level of replacement of SBM with GLPC (R 2 = 0.61, P ≤ 0.05 and R 2 = 0.67, P ≤ 0.05 respectively). In the second trial the highest weight gain was observed in rats fed the 25% LLPC-based food (3.4 ± 0.5 g day −1 ). Feed consumption was not significantly (P ≥ 0.05) influenced by dietary treatment, but rats fed the laboratory-formulated diets containing 0 and 25% LLPC utilised their food more efficiently (3.0 ± 0.4/0.2 respectively) than rats fed the other diets, including the commercial foods. While NR did not differ significantly (P ≥ 0.05), there was a decrease in AND and PER with increasing level of SBM replacement with LLPC (R 2 = 0.96, P ≤ 0.01 and R 2 = 0.89, P ≤ 0.05 respectively). Among all the organs weighed in the first two trials, only the relative weight of the lungs was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected. Neither the haematological variables nor the serum metabolites were significantly influenced by dietary treatment, except for the packed cell volume of rats fed the LLPC-based foods. The economics of food production showed that all the laboratory-formulated foods were cheaper than the commercial foods, with the 50% SBM + 50% GLPC (GL50) and 75% SBM + 25% LLPC (LL25) formulae proving to be the most nutritious. On rehabilitation, rats fed LL25 recovered lost weight faster than those fed GL50, followed by rats fed the best commercial diet (CFB), while the whole-body and liver protein contents were identical. The incorporation of LPC/SBM mixtures into local food formulae is suggested as a valid intervention strategy for tackling the endemic protein under-nutrition, especially among vulnerable groups, in sub-Saharan Africa.

No abstract

Background: This study evaluates the effects of storage periods (1, 4, 7, 10, and 13 days), egg size (small 60-64 g, medium 65-69 g, and large ≥ 70 g), and egg positioning with air cell facing either down or up during storage on hatchability percentages and day-old chick's weight. One thousand and five hundred (1500) fertile eggs from Arbor acre broiler breed were purchased and arranged each according to egg sizes into five (5) different storage periods of 100 eggs per storage period. Each storage period was subdivided into 2 groups of 50 eggs each based on positioning during storage. A completely randomized design in 3 × 5 × 2 factorial arrangement was adopted. Stored eggs were incubated for hatch with recording of weights of the hatched chicks, and the hatchability rate was calculated. Results: The results indicated eggs stored for a day and 4 days had maximum hatchability, but declined slightly as the storage period increased (92 to 78%). The eggs positioned down generally had better hatchability. However, mediumsized eggs had the highest hatchability percentage. On the other hand, large-sized eggs stored for longer period attained higher chick weight compared to medium-and small-sized eggs, but large-sized eggs positioned down gave a better chick weight. Generally, eggs stored with air cell down present superior chick weight. Conclusion: Storage period and egg positioning during storage affect the subsequent egg hatchability and weight of the hatched chicks from different egg sizes. However, egg storage must not exceed 4 days for optimum hatchability and weight of the hatched chicks. In addition, storing of eggs with air cell down might also enhance the hatchability and weight of hatched chicks irrespective of the weight of the eggs.

Leaves and leaf protein concentrates (LPCs) from leaves of Glyricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala were analysed for chemical constituents. The protein quality of the LPC, with or without dl-methionine supplementation, was estimated by using sixty weanling albino rats. Glyricidia leaves contained higher crude protein and lower crude fibre than L. leucocephala leaves, while the ash values were identical. In the LPCs, crude protein showed a good balance of amino acids and nutritionally important minerals. The gross energy (GE) was only enhanced in the LPC of Glyricidia and, although tannin content was reduced in the LPCs, the phytate concentration increased. The rat bioassay did not suggest that, even when supplemented with dl-methionine, Glyricidia or Leucaena LPC would support rat growth when used as the sole sources of dietary protein. Based on the analytical and bioassay data, the nutritional potentials and limitations of these underutilized protein resources are discussed.