The effect of feeding cassava root meal on growth performance, hydrocyanide intake, haematological indices and serum thiocyanate concentration of broiler chicks was investigated using 300-day-old male broilers. There were five dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of two processing methods of cassava root (peeled and unpeeled) included at two levels (100 and 200 g/kg) plus a control diet (maize-based diet, containing no cassava root). Each treatment was replicated six times with ten birds per replicate. The feeding trial lasted for 28 days. Control-fed birds had the highest overall (P < 0.01) final liveweight and weight gain, least (P < 0.05) hydrocyanide (HCN) intake and best (P < 0.05) feed-to-gain ratio. Chicks fed with control and diet containing 100 g/kg peeled cassava root meal (PCRM) had the least (P < 0.05) feed cost per weight gain. Chicks fed with diet containing 100 g/kg cassava root meal had higher (P < 0.05) final liveweight and weight gain and reduced (P < 0.05) HCN intake than chicks fed with diet containing 200 g/kg cassava root meal. Dietary inclusion of peeled cassava root meal (PCRM) for broiler chicks resulted in increased final liveweight (P < 0.05), weight gain (P < 0.01) and feed intake (P < 0.01) when compared with birds fed with diet containing unpeeled cassava root meal (UCRM). The least (P < 0.01) final liveweight and weight gain and worst (P < 0.05) feed-to-gain ratio were obtained with chicks fed with diet containing 200 g/kg UCRM. Increased dietary inclusion levels of cassava root resulted in significant increase (P < 0.05) in white blood cell (WBC) count, heterophil count and serum thiocyanate concentration. In comparison with chicks fed with diet containing UCRM, dietary inclusion of PCRM resulted in increased (P < 0.05) red blood cell (RBC) count and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and reduced (P < 0.05) white blood cell (WBC) count and serum thiocyanate concentration. Although inclusion of 100 g/kg PCRM showed some economic sense, dietary inclusion of either peeled or unpeeled cassava root poses a threat on growth and health status of broiler chicks.

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The vertical transmission of Salmonella organism in hatching broiler eggs were investigated in selected states in South-Western Nigeria. Hatching eggs were obtained from fifteen major hatcheries. five (hatchery A, B, C, D and E from each State [Lagos (LA), Oyo (OY) and Ogun (OG)]. A total of 300 hatchable eggs of 20 eggs from each hatchery were collected. Individual egg was broken and separated into Shell, albumin and yolk. The samples were incubated into buffer peptone water and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Typical colonies of salmonella grown on Xylose lysine deoxycholate agar were seen as lining black center and lightly transparent zone of reddish colour which were further cultured on nutrient agar plates for confirmatory test. The biochemical characterization was carried out using rapid kit for the identification of members of Enterobacteria family. The study revealed that Salmonella pullorum was isolated from the albumin in hatchery (OG-A) and hatchery (LA-A), Salmonella arizorae was also isolated in the Yolk from the hatchery (OG-C), Salmonella gallinarum was found in the albumin in Ogun hatchery (OG-A), however, Salmonella paratyphi A was isolated in the albumin in Oyo hatchery B (OY-B). It is evident from the study that salmonella organism reside in various fractions of the egg like albumin, shell and yolk.

This study was carried out to evaluate the wound healing ability of ethanoic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica, incorporated into the feed of albino rats. Twenty-four (24) albino rats of both sexes weighing between 90 to 125g were randomly selected and divided into three (3) groups of 8 rats each. Animals in each group were divided into four (4) replicates of two (2) rats per replicate. Group A had penicillin, group B had neem ointment and group C had Neem incorporated in the feed. The ethanoic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica showed a significantly higher (p<0.05) contraction rate and shortened wound closure time. The healing was 92% (p<0.05) on 10th day compared to 75% and 82% of healing with ground leaf of A. indica incorporated into the feed (neem + feed) and procaine penicillin, respectively. The complete wound closure took place on the 12th day in the case of ethanoic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica while, neem + feed and procaine penicillin the wounds persisted than12th day. The study concluded that the ethanoic leaf extract of A. indica had better potential wound healing activity for excision wounds; justifying its use in the traditional and orthodox medicine.

A 112-day study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary organic (Copper proteinate) and inorganic (Copper sulphate) Cu source on growth performance, plasma lipids and copper residue in organs and tissues of cockerel chickens. 240 day-old commercial Black-Harco cockerel chicks were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments of 40 birds each. Each treatment group was randomly allocated to 4 replicates of 10 birds each. The diets were formulated to contain a basal diet (containing 30.62 and 29.71 mg/kg Cu for starter and finisher phases respectively) supplemented with organic Cu (Cu proteinate; Cu-P) or inorganic Cu (Cu sulphate; CuSO ) fed at 3 dietary levels (50, 100 and 4 150 mg/kg). The birds were fed chicks mash and grower mash at 1-56 days and 57-112 days respectively in a deep litter pen at floor space of 0.06 m2/bird. Cu-P supplementation resulted in significantly higher (P<0.05) final live weight (FLW) and total weight gain (TWG) compared to CuSO at starter phase. Better feed conversion ratio was noticed in birds fed 4 Cu-P supplemented diets compared to CuSO at 150mg/kg Cu concentration at both starter 4 and finisher phases. Birds fed 150 mg/kg Cu recorded the highest (P<0.05) feed intake value at starter phase. There was significantly higher (P<0.05) accumulation of Cu in the blood, heart, lung, liver and thigh of birds fed Cu-P than those fed CuSO . The liver Cu 4 concentration increased as dietary Cu concentration increased. Cu-P supplementation resulted in significant reduction (P<0.05) in plasma cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride in comparison to CuSO . The blood 4 cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride decreased with increased copper concentration. Organic form of copper promotes growth, more bioavailable and more effective in reducing cholesterol than copper sulphate.