Poultry plays an important role in the livelihood of rural communities in developing countries. Rural poultry (RP) accounts for about 80% of the world's poultry stocks in many developing countries. Thus, RP production is a valuable asset to the local human population despite its relatively low productive performance of 40 to 60 eggs per year and 1.5 to 1.7 kg body weight at maturity. RP contributes significantly to rural livelihood and overall population well-being by providing cash income, satisfying religious and socio-cultural needs, utilising spare family time and satisfying the family's nutritional needs. Efforts are therefore needed from all stake-holders for active participation in RP, geared towards strengthening and improving the development of RP production which had continuously proved to be an effective tool in fighting poverty, providing food security and improving rural livelihood.

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A survey was conducted through structured questionnaires to find out consumers' preference for local chicken, its production and consumption in khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas (LGAs) making up the Ogoni kingdom in Rivers State, Nigeria. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and ranking. The result showed that the 3 most available and preferred species of poultry were local chicken (47.5%), layer birds (21.9%) and broilers (17.5%). Most of the respondents agreed that although productivity of local fowl had fallen compared to the last 5 years, chicken meat was still popular, more available for sales and a relatively cheap source of meat and eggs for rural dwellers. The major reason given for reduced productivity was rural-urban drift in search of education and paid jobs. It is therefore believed that a sensitization campaign aimed at encouraging small and medium scale local chicken production organized by government agencies and/or nongovernmental organizations will be a sure way of increasing animal protein supply, generate employment opportunities for youths and women, increase income, alleviate poverty, reduce rural-urban drift and enhance rural livelihood in Ogoni area.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium and vitamin D3 in cassava-based layers' diet on the external and internal qualities of egg. One hundred and thirty-five, ISA brown layers aged 54 weeks were assigned randomly to 9 treatment (T) combinations with  three replicates in a 3×3 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. Each  replicate had five hens while the diets were: T1 = 3.5% Ca and 1000 IU vitamin D3 , T2 = 3.5% Ca and 2000 IU vitamin D3 , T3 = 3.5% Ca and 3000 IU vitamin D3 , T4 = 4.5% Ca and 1000 IU vitamin D3 , T5 = 4.5% Ca and 2000 IU vitamin D3 , T6 = 4.5% Ca and 3000 IU vitamin D3 , T7 =  5.5% Ca and 1000 IU vitamin D3 , T8 = 5.5% Ca and 2000 IU vitamin D3 , and T9 = 5.5% Ca and 3000 IU vitamin D3 . After 12 weeks, two eggs were collected per replicate to assess the 3 external and internal egg qualities. The increasing levels of calcium and vitamin D3 had no effect on the external and internal qualities of the eggs. From the result, hens that were fed  4.5% and 5.5% Ca recorded highest shell thickness. The interaction of calcium and vitamin D3 affected the shell thickness with hens fed diet T5 (4.5% Ca with 2000 IU) recording the thickest egg shell while T2 (3.5% Ca with 2000 IU) recorded the lowest. It was therefore concluded that 4.5% and 5.5% dietary calcium, 1000 IU and 3000 IU vitamin D3 were best when used individually in the diet for hens while T5 (4.5% calcium with 2000 IU) favoured eggs shell thickness for hens aged 54 -66 weeks.     Une augmentation de la production des chevres dans les zones tropicales a conduit à une concurrence continue avec les humains pour la nourriture car la plupart des protéines étant donné les aliments conventionnels (gâteau à l'arachide, gâteau palmiste, soja) entre autres sont de plus en plus rares et coûteux, il est donc nécessaire de trouver du matériel d'alimentation non conventionnel qui peut remplacer considérablement les aliments conventionnels sans conséquences négatives sur l'animal. Ce travail de recherche visait donc les caractéristiques de performance des chèvres naines d'Afrique de l'Ouest (le 'WAD') nourries de grainesde testaà base de cacao (le 'CST') en remplacement du supplément de concentré de gâteau au palmiste à un régime basal d'herbe. Douze chèvres naines d'Afrique de l'Ouest de 15 à 16 mois avec un poids moyen de 16.5 kg ont été utilisées pour l'expérience. Ils ont été attribués au hasard à trois régimes concentrés de telle sorte que 0%, 50%, 100% étaient pour le groupe A, B et C, respectivement du gâteau de palmiste (le 'PKC') ont été remplacés par des testicules de graines de cacao (le 'CST'). Chacun des trois groupes a été élevé sur l'un des suppléments de concentré alimentés à un régime basal de l'herbe (Cynodonnlemfuensis). L'expérience a duré six semaines, au cours de laquelle deux semaines ont été utilisées pour acclimatiser les animaux aux cages. Le résultat de l'expérience a montré une différence significative (P<0.05) dans l'apport alimentaire global moyen, le poids gagné et le ratio de conversion des aliments pour animaux parmi les traitements. Le gain de poids quotidien moyen et le gain de poids global parmi les groupes de traitement étaient significativement différence (P<0.05). Les chèvres nourries de régime B utilisé l'alimentation mieux avec un gain de poids de 2539.96 g suivie par ceux de l'alimentation C  avec gain de poids de 1969.94 g. L'inclusion de graines de testa à base de cacao de 50 % à 100 % de remplacement pour le gâteau au palmiste améliore la croissance de la chèvre naine d'Afrique de l'Ouest.

he response of Isa Brown laying hens during 77–85 weeks of age to peeled unfermented cassava root meal (CRM) as total substitute for maize in diet was examined. Eighty (80) hens were assigned to four dietary treatment groups (T1,T2,T3 and T4) in a completely randomized design. The control diet (CD) contained 40% maize while the proportion of maize in the CD was replaced with 100, 110 and 120% CRM amounting to 40, 44 and 48% of cassava in diet for T2, T3, and T4 respectively. All diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. The CRM diets produced statistically significant (p<0.05) improvements by leading to lower feed intake, better feed conversion and increased hen day production (HDP) with increasing levels of CRM in diet. Although the eggs obtained from birds fed the CD had significantly higher yolk weight than those from the CRM, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in egg weight in all treatment groups. The best overall performance was achieved from birds fed 48% (120% replacement) cassava diet.

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