A study was conducted at the Animal Science Farm, Tuntungin, Putho of the Institute of Animal Science, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines, during 2001-2002 to find out the supplementation effects of corn-soybean based broiler’s diet with acid protease on its performance. The parameters studied were: growth, feed consumption, nutrient digestibility and economic analysis. Three hundred day-old, male broiler chicks were group brooded and fed with commercial pre-starter diets for seven days. Thereafter the chicks were randomly distributed to 30 cages with 10 chicks each. Five treatments randomly assigned to the 30 cages using a Completely Randomized Design. The treatments were: basal diet, diet with reduced crude protein, diet with reduced crude protein + 0.05 % protease, diet with reduced crude protein + 0.075 % protease, and diet with reduced crude protein + 0.1 % protease. The body weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, and carcass quality were recorded. The results showed that one per cent reduction in CP of the diet significantly decreased the crude protein digestibility of broiler starter and finisher diets. Although the protease supplementation of reduced CP diet consistently and significantly improved the digestibility of CP in broiler starter and finisher diets. Dietary protease inclusion at 0.075 percent significantly improved mean body weight gain in broiler at 28 days of age. Average cumulative feed consumption was significantly lower at 0.05 percent protease supplementation in broiler finisher diet. The highest income was derived from broilers fed diet supplemented with 0.075 percent protease. Further research should be carried out to confirm the results. Key words: Broiler, corn-based, and acid protease J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 26:65-70 (2005)

This study was conducted at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Rampur, Chitwan with the objective to study the effects of mixing starter diet with whole grains on the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers. The control group (T1) was fed only with the commercial starter and grower diets throughout the experimental period. Other treatment groups, T2, T3, and T4 received commercial starter diets supplemented with whole wheat, cracked maize and bajra pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucam) respectively from day 6. At 37 days, cumulative feed intakes (FI) were significantly lower (P<0.01) for all the whole grain treated groups, the lowest FI being noted in T2 followed by T4 and T3. Cumulative body weights at 37 days were considerably poorer in the 3 whole grain treatments. Feed conversion ratio in T3 and T4 were equal to T1, at 1.70 whereas T2 FCR was 13 points higher than T1. Lower carcass yield and breast yield (P<0.05) were noted in whole grain diets except T3, which had similar figures to that of control. Whole grains produced a larger gizzards (P<0.01). Economic analysis favoured cracked maize and whole bajra treatments, each generating a net profit of NRs. 12.3/bird and NRs. 6.48/bird respectively. This study clearly demonstrated that these whole grains could be successfully fed to broilers in a method of diluting a starter diet. But more research is needed with higher nutrient density starter diets with some adjustments in whole grain dilution to develop an efficient method of whole grain feeding that gives at least equal weights, better FCR, and lower feed costs. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 13, No. 2 (2012) 21-28 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v13i2.7709

An experiment was conducted at the Animal Science Farm, Tuntungin, Putho of the Institute of Animal Science, University of the Philippines, Los Banos, College, Laguna, Philippines, during 2001-2002. Ninety 24-weeks old individually caged pullets were used in this study. Five treatments were randomly assigned to the 90 pullets following a completely randomized design. Each treatment was replicated 18 times with one pullet each. The dietary treatments were: basal diet (18% CP and 2800 kcal /kg, ME) reduced (red). CP diet (17% CP and 2800 kcal /kg, ME), red CP diet + 0.05% protease, red CP diet + 0.075% protease and red CP diet + 0.10% protease. Apparent digestibility of each nutrient in relation to egg production, egg weight, feed consumption, feed efficiency, body weight gain, shell thickness and yolk pigmentation, mortality, and income over feed cost were calculated All the data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the SAS Institute (1988). One percent reduction of crude protein of diet of pullet significantly decreased the digestibility of all nutrients. Feed efficiency was significantly improved with 0.1% protease, while eggshell thickness was significantly improved with 0.075% protease supplementation of diets. Income over feed cost increased with dietary supplementation of protease. Increased level of protease supplementation of reduced CP diets consistently improved the digestibility of nutrients, overall average egg production and decreased feed consumption. Egg weight and feed efficiency were slightly improved with 0.075% and 0.1% protease supplementation of diet. Eggshell thickness was significantly improved with 0.075% protease Yolk color was not significantly influenced by increased protease supplementation of the diet. Income over feed cost was consistently increased with protease supplementation. It was concluded and recommended that crude protein of layer diets could be reduced by 1% provided that they are supplemented with protease, optimum level of inclusion of protease is 0.1% for layers and enzyme activity need to be accurately determined before it is used. Key words: Layer, corn-based, acid protease, enzyme J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 27:93-102 (2006)

An experiment was conducted from 18 th October, 2006 to 18 th January, 2007 at IAAS Livestock Farm, Rampur, Chitwan to determine the substitution effects of soybean meal with brewer's dried grain (BDG) on the performance, economics and meat traits of swine production. Starter, grower and finisher diets were formulated containing 18, 16, and 14% CP respectively with 3000 Kcal/kg ME and adequately supplemented with required vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The treatments were: diet without brewer's dried grain -T1 (control diet), diet substituted with 10% brewer's dried grain-T2, diet substituted with 20% brewer's dried grain-T3, diet substituted with 30% brewer's dried grain-T4 and diet substituted with 35% brewer's dried grain-T5. Twenty weaned piglets having 7.37 to 7.94 kg live weight were housed in individual pens. Five piglets were randomly assigned to the five treatments following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) considering each individual as a replication. Fortnightly live weight, daily feed consumption, income over feed and pig cost, and different meat traits of pigs were recorded. The effect of replacing formulated diets with various level of brewer's dried grains on body weight gain was significant (p<0.01) with higher level of substitution resulting lower live-weight at the end of each of starter, grower and finisher diet period. The average body weight of piglets substituted with 35%BDG (27.00kg) and 30%BDG (39.75kg) were significantly lower (p<0.01) compared to the weight of piglets receiving 0% (65.75kg), 10% (64.25kg) and 20% (60.25kg) BDG replaced diets at the end of 3 months experimental period. A significant reduction (P<0.01) in average daily feed consumption were also recorded with increasing level of BDG in the diet. Better feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in T2 at early period which at finisher stage T3 diet resulted significantly better FCR which was at par with T1 and T2 diet fed group. However, T5 diet resulted the poorest feed conversion ratio of 5.26, 4.92 and 5.87 for starter, grower and finisher respectively. There was reduction in feed cost with different levels of BDG substitution in diet of pig. Highest income (in per cent) over expenditure (109.01%) was found in T2 followed by T1, T3, and T4. Lowest income over expenditure (-8.2%) was found in T5. Highest dressing percent (71.87%) was recorded in T1 and lowest (70%) in T5 diet fed group. Inclusion of 10-20% BDG seems most acceptable level of substitution of SBM. However, this result needs to be verified under farmer's management condition before recommendation.

This study was conducted in Rasuwa district, Nepal from 2008to 2009 to analyze the transhumance effect in husbandry practices and physiological vitals. Physiological vitals were evaluated by 2×4 Factorial CRD with two levels of altitude (high-3300 m and low-1655 m) and four levels of age group (G 1 -≤6 yrs, G 2 -7 to 9 yrs, G 3 -10 to 13 yrs and G 4 ->13 yrs); information regarding husbandry practices were collected from herders (n=60) using semi-structured questionnaire. Physiological vitals were taken from two altitudes, then analyzed for two-way ANOVA by Mstat-C and survey data by SPSS 16.0. Husbandry practices were found to be almost similar round the year except the matter of herbage supplementation during winter and early parturition. Rectal temperature, respiration rate, pulse rate and DSI showed significant increase (P<0.01) when animals were at low altitude pasture. Therefore, findings of this study revealed that transhumance system of Chauri management is herders' rational farming approach to make use of available pastures at different altitudes and have a distinct impact on rearing system and animals' physiology.