Background This study aims to investigate the reproduction output of Archachatina marginata fed on roughage and concentrate feed with leaf meal-inclusive diets. One hundred fifty points of lay snails weighing between 150 and 170 g were randomly allotted to 5 treatment diets with three replicates, ten snails per replicate, designated as treatment 2 (GNCD) which has groundnut cake, treatment 3 (GLLM) has Gliricidia sepium, treatment 4 (MOLM) has Moringa oleifera, and treatment 5 (LLLM) has Leucaena leucocephala leaf meals as protein source in snail diet and a control (treatment 1) (UPWP) fed on roughage (unripe pawpaw and watermelon peel) in a 12-week feed trial. Feed intake, weight gain, egg lay, egg fertility, hatchability, and gonadosomatic index were measured. Results The result revealed snails fed with UPWP had the least final weight and weight gain which was accompanied by the highest feed intake across the treatments. Average egg laid, hatchability, fertility, embryo mortality, and average juvenile produced by snails on roughage-based diet were significantly the least across the treatments. High gonadosomatic index of snails on leaf meal-based diet accompanied with better reproductive output in laying snails was recorded. Conclusion Snails fed with Leucaena leucocephala-inclusive diet had better egg production, fertility, hatchability, and juvenile snails accompanied with gonadosomatic index across the treatments. Concentrate ration is essential for optimal reproductive output in snails.
Fruits with antioxidant enrichment can be an economically affordable supplement for mitigating oxidative damage prone spermatozoa membrane pathologies. Computer-assisted sperm analyzer and oxidative status were utilized to evaluate the impact of watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ) fortification of dextrose saline as diluent for rooster semen and fertility response of hens inseminated. Watermelon juice and dextrose saline were used to formulate diluent of 7 treatments consisting of unextended semen (positive control), 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and only dextrose saline (negative control) designated as Treatments 1–7. Pooled semen was obtained from fertile roosters and equilibrated with diluents at ratio 1:2 in the various treatments and were evaluated using computer software coupled microscope and seminal oxidative status assay. 168 laying hens randomly divided into 7 treatment of 8 replicates and 3 hen per replicate. Hen were everted, and semen (2 × 10 8 Spermatozoa) deposited intra-vagina and eggs collected over 8 weeks to assess fertility and hatchability of eggs laid. The result obtained revealed that watermelon-dextrose saline rooster semen diluent enhanced progressive motility, sperm kinetics and lowered non-progressive motility in T2–T6 compared to T7 over the 3 hours of evaluation. Watermelon addition to rooster semen diluent enhance the antioxidant capacity of rooster semen and lowered lipid peroxide generation. The percentage fertility was highest in T3 (81.01%) and T4 (81.24%) with lowest value obtained in T7 (73.46%). The hatchability of eggs set of hens inseminated with undiluted semen (71.46%) was lower than values for hens inseminated with watermelon inclusive extended semen (75.71%–80.39%). The optimal inclusion of 30%–40% watermelon in dextrose saline diluent enhance rooster semen kinetics, seminal oxidative stability and egg fertility.
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