Current Status of animal biotechnology and option for improvement of animal reproduction in Asia
October 2018
The aim of this review paper was to investigate the use of biotechnology in the improvement of animal reproduction in different Asian Countries. Biotechnologies have contributed immensely to increasing livestock reproductively, particularly in developed countries, and can help to alleviate poverty and hunger, reduce the threats of diseases and ensure environmental sustainability in developing countries. A wide range of...
Assesment of quality and marketing of hide and skin in Adamitulu Jidokombolcha and Bora Woreda in East Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
October 2018
Hide and Skins are important economic products contributing to the largest share of the total and agricultural export commodities followed by live animals in Ethiopia. The current study was conducted with the objective of assessing the major causes of hide and skin defect, quality, and marketing of the raw materials in Adami-Tulu and Bora district. A total of 768 (382 sheep and 220 goat skins and 76 cattle hides) sample...
Local sheep and goat reproductive performance managed under farmer condition in Southern Ethiopia
October 2018
Sheep and goats represent an important component of the farming system by providing about 12% of the value of livestock products consumed and 48% of the cash income generated at the farm level. Although diverse sheep and goats resources are found in Ethiopia, their productivity is low; the sector has not received a great deal of attention from scientists, administrators and legislators. Strategic recording and...
Influence of dietary wood charcoal on growth performance, nutrient efficiency and excreta quality of male broiler chickens
October 2018
Dietary wood charcoal can be a potential low-cost feed supplement for the improvement of performance in broiler chicken production, while reducing loss of nutrients through birds’ excreta. However, it has no nutritive value and excess feeding may lead to constipation and thereby hamper birds’ production performance. An experiment was conducted with a total of 24 male broiler chickens which were...
Phenotypic characterization of the West Africa dwarf goats and the production system in Liberia
September 2018
Data on characterization of animal genetic resources are valuable in the development of breeding and conservation schemes to ensure their sustainable use. A survey was conducted to collect baseline data on the phenotypic characteristics, production system, traits of economic importance and challenges faced by goat farmers in Liberia. The survey was carried out in the 15 counties of Liberia and covered 1314 animals in...
Production performance evaluation of koekoek chicken under farmer management practice in Tigray region, northern Ethiopia
September 2018
The objective of the study was to introduce and evaluate production performance of Koekoek chicken under smallholder farmers’ management practice and enhance their household income. This on farm experiment was conducted in eastern and south eastern zone of Tigray region. About 53 food insecure smallholder farmers were selected in collaboration with the experts and village administrators. Eighty seven percent of...
Livestock production system characterization in Arsi Zone, Ethiopia
September 2018
Despite its vital role in the country’s economic activities, livestock sector was considered as poor investment for development in Ethiopia. But currently, it is being given due attention in government policy planning, especially in the last two growth and transformation plans. Arsi zone is known for its own cattle breed known as “Arsi breed” (one of the six local breeds of the country) and has huge...
Poultry manure as a protein supplement in indigenous goat production in Zimbabwe
September 2018
The abundance of poultry litter in most farms in the sub-Saharan Africa is becoming an environmental problem. The objective of this study is to evaluate the proximate value, in-vitro digestibility of dried poultry manure (DPM) and its subsequent effect on growth, pH, and volatile fatty acid production of indigenous goats in Zimbabwe. Eighteen goats were randomly allocated to two treatment diets: grazing veld grass plus...
Small ruminant production and constraints in Misha Woreda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia
August 2018
The study was conducted in Misha Woreda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia with aim of assessing the production and challenges of small ruminant animals. Data was collected via questionnaire, interview and group discussion. For the study, 4 Kebeles were taken randomly and from each kebele, 20 households were selected purposively based on the experience and involvement of small ruminant production. The result indicated that...
Ethiopian native chicken productivity, aims of production and breeding practices across agro-climatic zones
August 2018
This study was conducted to characterize flock size, composition, productivity, motivational drivers, and breed selection criteria in village chicken production systems of lowlands, midlands, and highlands of Ethiopia. Data were collected at 360 rural households of which 120 were from lowland, 160 midland, and 80 highlands. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect the data using person to person interview...
Determination of bee spacing and comb cell dimensions for Apis mellifera Scutellata honeybee race in western Ethiopia
August 2018
A study was conducted at Assosa and Mao-komo districts of Benishangul-gumuz regional state, western Ethiopia, aiming to determine the bee spacing and cell dimensions of honeybee race Apis mellifera scutellata. The measurement of bee spacing and cell dimensions were taken from 20 traditional hives at each agro-ecology. Assosa and Mao-komo districts were purposively selected to represent mid-altitude and highland...
Potential risk factors associated with carcass contamination in slaughterhouse operations and hygiene in Oyo state, Nigeria
August 2018
Avoiding meat contamination at slaughterhouses is crucial for food safety; consumers’ awareness and concern for the type of food they eat has attracted global attention and redirected research interests towards food safety. The practical hygiene in the slaughterhouse operations play key role in the safety and wholesomeness of meat. A cross sectional survey was carried out on 60 slaughterhouses in Ibadan, Oyo and...
Effects of L-Arginine supplementation of drinking water on the kidney and liver of Sasso chickens
July 2018
The present study was conducted to determine the effects of L-arginine supplementation of drinking water on the kidney and liver of Sasso chickens. The study comprised 297 mixed sex Sasso chickens of twelve-weeks old raised in floor pens, the birds were randomly distributed into three treatments and three replicates with thirty-three birds per replicate. The design of the experiment is the completely randomized design...
Livestock-feed balance in small and fragmented land holdings: The case of Wolayta zone, Southern Ethiopia
July 2018
Ethiopia owns immense but largely untapped livestock resources scattered over diverse agro-ecologies. Feed scarcity is one of the major technical constraints in livestock production and thus challenges the economic contribution of the livestock sub-sector. For optimum and sustainable livestock productivity, the available feed resource should match with the animal population in a given area. This study was aimed at...
Phenotypic characterization of pigs and their production system in Liberia
July 2018
Native pig farming is an important component of rural farming systems in Liberia but the population has recently stagnated, due to the absence of a comprehensive improvement and conservation program. A survey was conducted to measure the phenotypic morphometric parameters and production system of native and exotic pigs of Liberia. The survey was carried out in 15 Counties of Liberia and covered 545 animals from 264...
Comparative analysis of climate change impact on livestock in relation to biomass base feed availability using standardized precipitation index in south-western Ethiopia
July 2018
The standardized precipitation index and normalized difference vegetation index on event incidences (at different time scale) and biomass feed dry matter production, were used to assess climate change influences on feed availability. A significant decline (p<0.05) in feed dry matter availability indices across years was observed. The deviation from normality shows that the biomass feed production could vary...
Success drivers of pig artificial insemination based on imported fresh semen
June 2018
This study was conducted to assess the factors that affect pig litter size, proportion of live pigs at birth, number of inseminations per conception, and efficiency of artificial insemination. The main factors assessed were sow breed (n = 2), sire breed (n = 3), sow parity (n = 7) and insemination method (n = 2). The sow breeds used were Landrace, LL (n = 27) and Landrace × Pietran crossbreds, LP (n = 37); boar...
Relationships between sperm morphology and semen cation concentrations in red sokoto goats (Capra aegagrus hircus)
June 2018
The study evaluated the relationships between sperm morphology and semen cation concentrations in Red Sokoto bucks. A total of 31 Red Sokoto bucks were used for the study. Semen samples were collected from each animal on weekly basis for 52 weeks using an electro-ejaculator. Sperm morphological traits: detached mid-piece and tail (DMT), detached head (DH), mid-piece droplet (MPD), coiled and bent tail (CBT), and...
Feed resources assessment, laboratory evaluation of chemical composition of feeds and livestock feed balance in enset (Ensete ventricosum)-based mixed production systems of Gurage zone, southern Ethiopia
June 2018
The study was conducted in four districts of Gurage zone, Sothern Nations Nationalities and People’s Region to determine the quantity and quality of available feed resources and to measure the livestock feed balance. A total of 360 households from dega (highland) and weinadega (midaltitude) peasant associations were selected using proportional sample size determination (Cochran, 1909; Thrustfield, 2013). The DM...
Evaluation of the reproductive performance of Holstein Friesian dairy cows in Alage ATVET college, Ethiopia
June 2018
The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of pure Holstein Friesian dairy cows exploring 28 years records (1987 to 2015) in Alage Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training (ATVET) College dairy farm. General linear model procedures of SAS version 9.2 was employed to determine the effects of period of birth, season of birth, period of calving, season of calving and parity on...
Supplementary value of two Lablab purpureus cultivars and concentrate mixture to natural grass hay basal diet based on feed intake, digestibility, growth performance and net return of Horro sheep
June 2018
This study was undertaken with the aim to determine the supplementary value of Beresa-55 and Gebisa-17 cultivars and concentrate mixture to a basal diet of natural pasture hay based on growth performance, feed utilization, digestibility and net return of Horro sheep. A total of twenty five yearlings Horro sheep were stratified into five groups based on initial body weight in randomized complete block design and animals...
Indigenous breeding practices and selection criteria of sheep breed in central zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
June 2018
This study was conducted with the aim to generate organized information on traditional breeding practices and selection criteria for indigenous sheep types in three districts of central zone of Tigray, North Ethiopia. A total of 180 households were randomly sampled for the interview. A semi-structured questionnaire and group discussion were further used to gather information on sheep breeding practices and selection...
Productive and reproductive performance of local dairy cows in selected districts of Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia
May 2018
The aim of the study was to assess the productive and reproductive performance of local dairy cows and constraints and opportunities of dairy production in selected districts of Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. Multistage sampling technique were employed in three districts selected representing highland (Wenisho), midland (Dale) and lowland (Loka Abaya) from Sidama Zone. One hundred and thirty five households who owned...
Feeding value potential of mulberry (Morus alba) leaf meal to replace concentrate mix
May 2018
The experiment was carried out to estimate the feeding value of mulberry (Morus alba) leaf meal by evaluating its chemical composition in vitro organic matter digestibility and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability. This study aimed to assess the potential of mulberry foliage in supplementing the feed of ruminant animals during the dry season, when other feed resources are scarce and their quality generally fall short...
Review on milk and milk product safety, quality assurance and control
April 2018
Food safety and quality are critical issues that should be given more attention all over the world mainly from nutritional quality and human health point of view. Food safety is a scientific field of study which deals with handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food borne illness. Food safety system is often categorized into two, namely traditional and science-based systems. Food can be used as...
Digestibility and growth performance of Dorper×Afar F1 sheep fed Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay supplemented with alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Lablab (Lablab purpures), Leucaena leucocephala and concentrate mixture
April 2018
A study was conducted to determine effect of supplementation with isonitrogenous level of concentrate mixture (CM; 33% noug seed cake (NSC) and 67% wheat bran (WB)), alfalfa, lablab, and Leucaena leucocephala (LL) on feed intake, digestibility, daily body weight gain (ADG) and net return of sheep kept on Rhodes grass hay (RGH) basal diet. Twenty four yearling male Dorper×Afar F1 crossbred sheep were used in...
Characterization of productive and reproductive performances, morphometric and challenges and opportunities of indigenous cattle breeds of Ethiopia: A review
March 2018
The aim was to review and summarize the fragmented characterization information of indigenous cattle breeds of Ethiopia in productive and reproductive performances, morphometric traits and their production challenges and opportunities. Cattle play vital role in ensuring food security of Ethiopia. They contributed milk which accounted above 80% of the total national annual milk production. Although Ethiopia has large...
Variations in village chicken management packages in two agro-ecological zones of Tanzania
March 2018
This study was conducted in two regions namely, Mbeya in southern highlands (Cool) and Singida in central (semi-arid) Tanzania. Currently, the African Chicken Genetic Gain (ACGG) project is testing tropically high producing adapted breeds in these areas. The objective of this study was to assess status of chicken management practices following the introduction of improved strains. In addition, five attitudinal...
Management and Breeding Objectives of Maefur goat breed type in Erob district eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
March 2018
A cross sectional survey was conducted to characterize production system and to identify breeding objectives of Maefur goat population in the eastern zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for the personal interview with purposively selected 150 households. The data collected through personal household interview were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Indices were used to provide the...
Meat quality and morphology to meet the patency of Menz sheep (Ovis aries) in North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia
February 2018
The study was conducted to characterize meat quality and morphology of sheep in North Shewa Zone, and to generate baseline information on the patency of Menz sheep. A total of 720 sheep were purposely selected for morphological study. The result showed that age at first kidding, age at sexual maturity, weight, height, length, hair length, tail length and age at disposal were with a mean of 5.58 months, 4.55 months,...
Assessment of the problems associated with artificial insemination practices in Essera Woreda, Dawuro zone, Southern Ethiopia
February 2018
This study was conducted to assess the problems associated with the artificial insemination service in Essera woreda of Dawuro zone, southern Ethiopia from December, 2016 to August, 2017. The study was conducted using questionnaire survey and records in targeted human and dairy cow’s population, respectively. There was no statistically significant association (P>0.05) in the conception and delivery of cows with...
Appetibility and effect of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf foods on weight performance and viability of pre-weaning rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
January 2018
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves in the feeding of lactating rabbits. For 35 days, food consumption, weight performance and mortality were recorded in 96 mother cages of four batches of lactating rabbits subjected to four diets, including a control diet without neem leaves (lot 0) and three diets (lot 5: 5% leaves; lot 10: 10% leaves, and lot 15: 15% leaves)...
Factors influencing the success of on-farm estrus synchronization of dairy cattle in North Shewa Zone, Amahara Region, Ethiopia
January 2018
To increase the efficiency of artificial insemination (AI) and improve reproductive performance of dairy cattle, different governmental organizations (GOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been conducting field level estrus synchronization followed by AI in different locations in Ethiopia. However, success rates varied from low to moderate between locations. North Shewa Zone of Amhara Region was among the...
Community based assessment of the importance of Newcastle disease in village chickens in Bauchi State, Nigeria
December 2017
A study on the importance of Newcastle disease (ND) in village chickens was conducted among farmers, poultry traders and community leaders using a focus group discussion (FGD) on village chicken production in eight communities of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Participatory epidemiologic tools of proportional piling and pair wise ranking were used by all the participants of FGD to rank by importance common diseases of village...
Characteristics of small-scale sheep production systems in some communal areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
December 2017
The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of small-scale livestock production systems in some communal areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The parameters surveyed include sex, age, educational and marital status of the farmers, types of livestock raised and production system practiced. The study revealed that mixed crop-livestock production systems were dominant in the study area....
Challenges and opportunities of milk, meat and live animal marketing in Ethiopia: A review
November 2017
As a result of population growth, urbanization and others, the demand for animal product have substantially increased in Ethiopia. The performance of livestock product marketing was poor in the last decade showing less accessibility to both consumers and other market due to number of constraints particularly in milk, meat and live animal marketing. The common milk market constraint includes: lack of clear milk marketing...
Prevalence of equine strongyle infection and its associated risk factors in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia
November 2017
This cross-sectional study was carried out from November, 2015 to May, 2016 to determine the prevalence of equine strongyles and associated risk factors in Jimma town. Fresh faecal samples were obtained from 384 randomly selected horses (n= 287), donkeys (n= 67) and mules (n= 30). Coprological examination for the detection of strongyle eggs was performed using floatation technique. The overall prevalence of strongyle...
The potential of reproductive technologies in breeding smallholder cattle populations in Zimbabwe
October 2017
Cattle are critical to most smallholder agricultural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. A study was carried out to assess breed and trait preferences, breeding practices, application and potential adoption of novel reproductive technologies by smallholder cattle farmers in four districts of Zimbabwe. The study revealed that famers are subsistence oriented and follow a resource driven production system. Herd size...
Methionine fortified blood meal can replace fish meal in broiler diets
September 2017
This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance, dressing percent and carcass composition, organ weights and cost-return analysis of broiler chickens fed methionine-fortified blood meal as replacement for fish meal. Two hundred and ten day-old hybro broiler chicks were allotted to 21 floor pens with 10 birds per pen. Seven experimental diets were formulated for starter and finisher phases respectively. ...
Production performance of Sasso (distributed by ethio-chicken private poultry farms) and Bovans brown chickens breed under village production system in three agro-ecologies of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPR), Ethiopia
September 2017
A quick survey study was conducted with the objectives of assessing farmers trait preference and productive performance of Sasso provided by Ethio-chicken private poultry farms under village production system in three agro ecologies of SNNPR, Ethiopia. Totally, 135 randomly selected respondents (45 from each agro ecologies) were included in the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one...
Dairy cattle milk production, handling, processing, utilization and marketing system in Bench Maji Zone, Southwest Ethiopia
September 2017
The study was conducted to assess the general milk production system, handling practices, processing, utilization and marketing system of raw cow milk produced in Mizan Aman, Debub and Shey Bench Districts. A total of 270 respondents (thirty respondents from each study area) were selected using simple random sampling technique and interviewed by using a semi structured questionnaires. The results of current study showed...
The effect of limiting feeding time by three and six hours per day during the starter period on broiler performance
August 2017
In a completely randomized design, one hundred and twenty one- day old (Arbor acres) broiler chicks were randomly distributed in three treatments, five replicates with eight chicks per a replicate. The treatments were: 24 h ad libitum feeding (A), B feed removal from 9:00 to 12:00 noon (3 fasting hours) and C feed removal from 9:00 to 3:00 pm (6 fasting hours). Feed restriction was applied from 8 to 28 days of age. The...
Participatory identification of breeding objective traits of Woyto-Guji goat in Loma district, Southern Ethiopia
August 2017
Woyto-Guji goat breeds suitable for diverse purposes in the different production environments or ecological zones in the district. Farmers in different production systems have different trait preferences and the strategies followed by them are also as diverse as the agro-environments within which they operate. Socio-economic (cash, asset, security) and production or yield attribute (meat) were ranked first and second...
Management and phenotypic features of indigenous cattle in Rwanda
July 2017
Breed improvement and conservation are optimally achieved when the available genetic resources are characterised and strategies developed to achieve the goals. This study aimed at investigating the management practices, performance and morphological features of the indigenous cattle ecotypes in Rwanda on 250 cattle farming households. A total of 20 measurements taken on 305 female and 45 male cattle were: body length...
Evaluation of different processing methods of soya beans (Glycine max) on its nutritive value and the performance of broilers: A qualitative selection approach for extension
July 2017
Several trials has been conducted by poultry nutritionist in evaluating effects of soybean processing on its nutritive value and the performance of broilers without clearly declaring the best processing method to be adopted by farmers that will give them on the average a cumulative best result output. A qualitative selection approach was thus adopted in the evaluation of different processing methods of soya beans...
Influence of breed, season and age on quality bovine semen used for artificial insemination
June 2017
The success or failure of artificial insemination starts with the quality status of semen used, hence, this study aimed to investigate the effects of breed, season and year on bovine semen quality of the National Bull Stud of Rwanda kept at Masaka bull station, Rwanda. A total of 1475 semen samples were collected bi-weekly from nine bulls of Holstein Friesian (n = 3), Inyambo (n = 3) and Jersey (n = 3) breed using an...
Fattened cattle marketing systems in Moretna Jiru District, North Shoa Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia
June 2017
The study was conducted in Moretna Jiru district, North Shoa zones of Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia from February 2014 to January 2016 to assess fattening cattle marketing system. The primary and secondary data were collected through structured interview, focus group discussion and direct filed observation. Statistical package for social science (SPSS 16) were used to analyze data. In the study area, most...
Bodyweight gain and carcass characteristics of Horro sheep fed urea treated maize husk and untreated maize husk supplemented with different levels of concentrate mix at Bako, Western Ethiopia
June 2017
The experiment was conducted for 90 days of feeding trial at Bako district, Western Ethiopia using twenty yearling male Horro sheep weighing 20.42 ± 0.35 kg (mean ± SD) with the objectives to evaluate the effect of supplementation of nougseed meal and wheat bran mix (1:1) on body weight (BW) gain and carcass characteristics of Horro sheep. The experiment was arranged with four blocks and four treatments in...
History, status and use of equines in the West African Republic of Gambia
May 2017
Gambia is the smallest country on the African mainland and is one of the poorest. Agriculture contributes about 23.6% of the national Gross Domestic Product, mainly from crop production. Cattle are the most important livestock species and oxen originally provided most of the draught power. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, horses were traded by the Portuguese with local inhabitants for slaves and then used...
Improving live body weight gain of local sheep through crossbreeding with high yielding exotic Dorper sheep under smallholder farmers
May 2017
The study was conducted in Hawzen and Hintalowagerat districts of Tigray region Northern Ethiopia with the objective of enhancing meat production performance of the local sheep through cross breeding with high yielding exotic Dorper sheep under smallholder farmers. Pure male Dorper mated with local sheep produced first and second generation with 50 and 25% blood level of Dorper, respectively. Farmer’s research...
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