SUMMARYThe proximate composition of meat and carcass characteristics of twenty-four (24) growing pigs fed graded levels of a microbially enhanced cassava peel diets were assessed in a trial that lasted three months. The cassava peels were fermented with a consortium of Aspergillus fumigatus (a fungus) and two lactic acid bacteria namely, Lactobacillus coryneformis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii, thus the fermented product was designated Microbially Enhanced Cassava Peel (MECP). The MECP was included in the ration formulation of the pigs at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60% levels. At slaughter, meat samples were collected from the M. biceps femoris to determine their proximate composition and the weights of the head, viscera and back fat thickness at the 1 st and 10 th ribs and 1 st lumbar vertebra were taken. The results obtained revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in proximate meat composition and carcass characteristics between animals fed on the control diet and those fed on varying levels of MECP diets. The treatment effect showed that animals raised on MECP with 60% level of inclusion had the highest (15.09%) muscle protein. The female animals had significantly (p<0.05) higher dry matter, ash, protein and fat content while the males had a higher moisture content in their M. biceps femoris muscle. The sex versus treatment effect revealed the female animals on 60% MECP had the least (69.21%) moisture content while the male animals on 40% MECP had the highest (75.42%). Muscle protein was highest in animals fed 20% MECP while the female animals on 60% MECP had the highest (13.86%) level of muscular fat. The female animals had thicker back fat at the 1 st and 10 th ribs and at the 1 st lumbar vertebra. Ash content of the muscle increased as the level of inclusion of MECP in the diets increased also animals fed MECP diets had the leanest carcasses.It can be concluded that feeding pigs with 40% dietary level of MECP would ensure carcass leanness and improve protein and dry matter content of pig's meat. RESUMENLa composición de la carne y las caracterís-ticas de la canal de 24 cerdos en crecimiento, alimentados con una dieta a base de peladuras de yuca mejoradas microbiológicamente fueron analizadas en un experimento que duró tres meses. Las peladuras de yuca fueron fermentadas con una asociación del hongo Aspergillus fumigatus y dos bacterias lácticas: Lactobacillus coryneformis y Lactobacillus delbrueckii. El producto fermentado fue denominado Peladuras de Yuca Microbiológicamente Mejoradas (MECP). El MECP fue incluido en las raciones de los cerdos a las proporciones de 0%, 20%, 40% y 60%. En el momento del sacrificio fueron obtenidas muestras del Musculus biceps femoris para determinar su composición así como los pesos de cabeza, vís-ceras y espesor de la grasa dorsal a la altura de las 1ª y 10ª costillas y 1ª vértebra lumbar.Los resultados obtenidos revelaron diferencias significativas (p<0,05) en la composición de Archivos de zootecnia vol. 61, núm. 235, p. 408. ARO AND AKINJOKUN la carne y características de la c...

Purpose: The aim is to study the effects of stocking density on the performance characteristics, egg quality, and nutrient composition of the eggs of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Study Design: Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Subjects and Methods: Two hundred and ninety-six (296) day-old sexed Japanese quails assigned to four different stocking densities (treatments) with four replicates conducted in the rainy season. The groups (I to IV) contained 11, 16, 21, and 26 quails in the approximate sex ratio of 1:1 (male: female) with stock densities 252.20 cm2, 173.43 cm2, 132.10 cm2, and 106.73 cm2/quail respectively. Standard procedures were adopted in data generation, collation and analyses. Results: The results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in weight gain, hen-day production, hen-housed production, total egg /hen, external and internal egg parameters across the treatments. The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.38 % and lowest mortality (2.27 %) were obtained from group one and compared with those in groups two and three. The highest mortality rate was observed in group IV (12.50 %). The proximate analysis and mineral composition of the eggs recorded the highest values from group I which was also compared with the rest of the groups. Conclusion: It was concluded that 173.43 cm2 and 132.10 cm2/quail bird compared well with the standard (252.20 cm2/quail bird) and hence could still be adopted in quail farming without compromising their welfare and performance.

ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS Back fat. Dressing percentage. Microbial fermentation. Muscle protein. PALABRAS CLAVE ADICIONALES Fermentación microbiana. Grasa dorsal. Proteína muscular. Rendimiento canal. SUMMARYThe proximate composition of meat and carcass characteristics of twenty-four (24) growing pigs fed graded levels of a microbially enhanced cassava peel diets were assessed in a trial that lasted three months. The cassava peels were fermented with a consortium of Aspergillus fumigatus (a fungus) and two lactic acid bacteria namely, Lactobacillus coryneformis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii, thus the fermented product was designated Microbially Enhanced Cassava Peel (MECP). The MECP was included in the ration formulation of the pigs at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60% levels. At slaughter, meat samples were collected from the M. biceps femoris to determine their proximate composition and the weights of the head, viscera and back fat thickness at the 1 st and 10 th ribs and 1 st lumbar vertebra were taken.The results obtained revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in proximate meat composition and carcass characteristics between animals fed on the control diet and those fed on varying levels of MECP diets. The treatment effect showed that animals raised on MECP with 60% level of inclusion had the highest (15.09%) muscle protein. The female animals had significantly (p<0.05) higher dry matter, ash, protein and fat content while the males had a higher moisture content in their M. biceps femoris muscle. The sex versus treatment effect revealed the female animals on 60% MECP had the least (69.21%) moisture content while the male animals on 40% MECP had the highest (75.42%). Muscle protein was highest in animals fed 20% MECP while the female animals on 60% MECP had the highest (13.86%) level of muscular fat. The female animals had thicker back fat at the 1 st and 10 th ribs and at the 1 st lumbar vertebra. Ash content of the muscle increased as the level of inclusion of MECP in the diets increased also animals fed MECP diets had the leanest carcasses.It can be concluded that feeding pigs with 40% dietary level of MECP would ensure carcass leanness and improve protein and dry matter content of pig's meat. RESUMENLa composición de la carne y las características de la canal de 24 cerdos en crecimiento, alimentados con una dieta a base de peladuras de yuca mejoradas microbiológicamente fueron analizadas en un experimento que duró tres meses. Las peladuras de yuca fueron fermentadas con una asociación del hongo Aspergillus fumigatus y dos bacterias lácticas: Lactobacillus coryneformis y Lactobacillus delbrueckii. El producto fermentado fue denominado Peladuras de Yuca Microbiológicamente Mejoradas (MECP). El MECP fue incluido en las raciones de los cerdos a las proporciones de 0%, 20%, 40% y 60%. En el momento del sacrificio fueron obtenidas muestras del Musculus biceps femoris para determinar su composición así como los pesos de cabeza, vísceras y espesor de la grasa dorsal a la altura de las 1ª y 10ª costillas y 1ª vértebra lumbar.Los r...

Data from fifty-four pigs: twenty-five Duroc, twenty-one Large White and eight crosses of Duroc and Large White (Hybrid) were used to quantify and mathematically describe the performance traits of pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of genotype, sex and their interaction on the performance characteristics of three pig genotypes. The pigs were 30 kg of body weight and 70 days of age at the beginning of the study. Records for body weight (BW), body length (BL), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), rump and back fat thickness, trunk length(TRL), height at withers (HW), chest girth (CG),tail length (TL), shoulder to tail length (STL) were used for the analysis. The results of the least squares means analysis on the performance traits showed that genotype and sex were important sources of variation for traits such as feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), rump and back fat thickness. Also, the linear body traits namely; body weight (BW), body length (BL), trunk length (TRL), height at withers (HW), chest girth (CG), tail length(TL) and shoulder to tail length (STL) were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by genotype and sex. The male sex and the hybrid had better performance traits at various stages.

This study aims to assess the impact of time of feeding on the body temperature of West African dwarf (WAD) goats. Twenty-seven goats (15 buck and 12 pregnant does) were used in this experiment. The bucks and gravid does were fed same experimental diet once daily at either, 06:00h, 12:00h or 18:00h in the morning, afternoon or evening, respectively. Rectal temperature (P<0.001) of bucks fed at 18:00h was higher than 12:00h fed bucks which was higher than 06:00h fed bucks. In contrast, pregnant does fed in the evening had lowest (P=0.009) axillary and rectal temperature while afternoon-fed does had the highest. Time of feeding induced increase (P<0.001) in axillary and rectal temperature of the bucks and pregnant does. The excursion ranges of temperature of morning, afternoon and evening-fed bucks was 0.42-0.79, 1.11-1.25, 1.15-1.19 o C, respectively, while the excursion range of temperature of morning, afternoon and evening fed bucks was 0.17-0.19, 0.55-0.72, 0.45-0.47 o C respectively. This study shows that time of feeding can entrain body temperature and animal physiological state can affect the temperature rhythm of animals. In conclusion, feeding bucks or pregnant does in the morning or evening may be an effective strategy to manage heat stress in the tropics. Feeding livestock in the afternoon should be avoided. Feeding in the evening may be adopted in the future due to the changing climate that will be accomplished by increased ambient temperature. Contribution/Originality:This study is one of the very few studies that has investigated the impact of time of feeding on the body temperature of livestock specie fed once daily. Feeding in the evening is a good management strategy to reduce body temperature in bucks and pregnant does. INTRODUCTIONMany factors influence the body temperature including food availability and ambient temperature [1,2].Naturally, in diurnal animals, body temperature rises from dawn to dusk which coincide with the increase in ambient temperature. Yet, time of feeding has been shown to affect the rhythmicity of expression of body temperature in mammals [3][4][5]. The rhythm of core body temperature was entrained by feeding time where temperature was phase shifted and amplitude decreased by night feeding in the summer, indicating alteration of the central clock [6]. Similarly, Salfer and Harvatine [5] reported that night feeding also phase delayed the rhythm of core body temperature, while day-restricted feeding increased its amplitude. The above scenario suggest that time of feeding can be used to manage the time of body temperature peaks.