rss_2.0Sciendo RSS Feed for Archiva Zootechnicahttps://sciendo.com/journal/AZIBNAhttps://www.sciendo.comhttps://sciendo-parsed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6470d10771e4585e08aa63ed/cover-image.jpghttps://sciendo.com/journal/AZIBNA140216https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0003<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters for age at first calving in Charolais and Limousine cattle breeds using animal model. The reproduction traits are influenced by genetic factors and environmental factors. The genetic factors are breed, individual and environmental factors are: climate condition and nutrition. The data consisted on 239 records for Charolais breed and 309 records for age at the first calving for Limousine breed. The data were from Romanian Breeding Association for Beef cattle. The age at the first calving was 792.92±6.77 days for Charolais breed and 813.83±6.09 days for Limousine breed. The heritability value for age at the first calving was 0.273 for Charolais and for Limousine breed was 0.275. The breeding values of cows with records for age at first calving were between −30.697 and 40.929 for Limousine breed were between −46.64 and 42.65. For improvement the reproduction traits it is necessary to improve the environmental conditions and supervision of reproduction activity in the farms and the selection of the best cows. The selection based on the breeding values of the cows determined the improvement of age at first calving. Improvement the reproduction traits increase the profitability of farms.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00032024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0004<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of this study was to contribute to guinea fowl farming productivity. Thus, a socio-economic and technical survey was conducted in Far-North Cameroon and 500 eggs were randomly collected for hatchability assessment. Additionaly, 90 eggs were collected from three localities for physico-chemical analysis. Guinea fowls are raised in free range and 53.3 % of farmers have traditional shelters and no sanitary measures are taken. Farmers have traditional know-how in terms of egg selection techniques for brooding and the management of guinea fowl. They are mostly sold at the market and prices of one living guinea fowl vary between 3 and 5 USD. Major constraints consist in financial needs and lack of appropriate rearing practices. Physico-chemical characteristics showed that weight and edible mater proportions were not affected by locality. Haugh unit of eggs from Bipain (71.04±3.88%) were lower than those from Guidiguis (81.01±7.40%) and Chaochai (84.30±5.83%) and the reverse was observed for lipid and protein contents. Effective hatching rate was 28.96% respectively with an embryonic mortality rate of 42.2% for all eggs. This work shows that guinea fowl farming remains poorly developed and the artificial incubation performances remain low, hence the need for better ways to increase productivity.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00042024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0002<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Due to its valuable nutritional qualities and unique capacity to withstand heat and drought, the cowpea (CWP; <italic>Vigna unguiculata</italic> (L.) Walp) is an important legume crop that is grown extensively throughout the globe and in increasing quantities also in semi-arid areas in Romania. Moreover, a drought-tolerant crop like CWP can provide several benefits to poultry in regions affected by water scarcity or drought conditions. Compared to other legumes, such as peas or soybeans, CWP has been the least researched and are the least used in poultry nutrition. The seed’s mean protein content is 25.5%, which is comparable to soybeans, winged beans, and gram. In addition, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals are abundant in CWP seeds. The amino acid composition is characterized by a balanced profile, making it a valuable source of essential and non-essential amino acids. Additionally, CWP seeds are very rich in nutraceuticals like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The major PUFAs were linoleic (20.8–40.3%) and linolenic acids (9.6–32.1%). It also contains anti-nutritional factors like enzyme inhibitors that reduce nutrient absorption. However, various processing methods are employed to diminish or eliminate the negative effects of anti-nutritional components. CWP in their raw unprocessed form can be used as replacement for soybean meal in poultry diets, at inclusion levels up to 200 g/kg. However, the optimal inclusion rate of CWP in poultry feed will depend on different factors such as age and the processing method used.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00022024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0006<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>One-hundred-and-twenty-day-old mixed-sex marshall breed of broiler chicks was randomly assigned to four (4) treatment groups (30 birds/experimental oral dosage levels). The treatment groups comprised T1 (control), T2, T3, and T4 containing 5ml, 10ml, and 20ml of <italic>Phyllanthus nuriri</italic> extract (PNE) stock solution per litre of water which was provided to the birds as drinking water regularly for the six weeks of the experiment. The haematological, serum metabolites, serum proteins, and gross pathology of some internal organs of the birds were examined. No significant effect (P&gt;0.05) was observed in the packed cell volume, red blood cells, haemoglobin concentration, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, lymphocyte, heterophil, monocyte, basophil, and eosinophil, except for mean cell volume and mean cell haemoglobin. Likewise, the serum proteins were not influenced (P&gt;0.05) by PNE but alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly reduced when compared to the control group. No significant differences (P&gt;0.05) were recorded on the gross pathology of the liver, heart, spleen, caecum, crop, proventriculus, and kidney of the broiler chickens provided with the different dosage levels of PNE. Conclusively, PNE up to 20 mL support normal haemopoietic activity and confers hepato-protective effects on broiler chickens.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00062024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0001<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study was conducted on adult male and female Damascus goats to determine some blood components throughout the year. Twelve goats (4 males and 8 females), 2–3-year-old apparently healthy were used for one year. Jugular blood samples were collected once a week using vacutainers containing 18 mg K2E as an anticoagulant. Immediately after collection, samples were transferred to the lab to determine some blood components using Veterinary Hematology Analyzer. Overall means were: 17.09 ± 5.16 x 10³/mm³ for White Blood Cells (WBC), 7.82 ± 2.85% for Lymphocytes (LYM), 0.98 ± 0.39% for Monocytes (MON), 11.16 ± 3.28 g/dL for Haemoglobin (HGB), 750 ± 319 x 10³/mm³ for Platelet Counts (PLT) and 4.99 ± 0.38 fL for Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), with variations in the concentrations of the components among individuals. Results indicated statistical differences in the means of WBC, LYM, HGB, PLT and MPV between males and females, with no significant differences in the MON parameters. Results also showed statistical differences in the values of all parameters between winter and summer months in males and females, except for MON, where mean values of WBC, LYM and HGB with higher values in winter as compared to summer months.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00012024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0009<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of sea buckthorn meal alone and in combination with bilberry leaves on growth performance, health status and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of 90 healthy 1-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups and housed in digestibility cages under controlled environmental conditions. The dietary treatments included a basal diet (T0), a basal diet +1% sea buckthorn meal (T1) and a basal diet + 1% sea buckthorn meal and bilberry leaves (T2). The results showed that experimental diets did not influenced the growth performance. At 42 d, T2 had the highest serum iron level among the three groups. Compared to T0, T1 and T2 significantly reduced <italic>Enterobacteriaceae, E.coli</italic> and staphylococci in the cecal and intestinal contents and improved the lactobacilli populations number. The most effective way to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the cecal content was through the diet that contained sea buckthorn meal alone. In conclusion, adding sea buckthorn meal in the diet of broiler chickens can be an effective solution to promote a healthy gut microflora. This aligns with the current strategy of reducing agro-industrial food waste by repurposing it in other industries.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00092024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0008<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of live <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic> yeast (LY) supplementation on high-starch diets for dairy cows. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, four treatment groups were examined: adequate starch without LY (AS-control), AS with LY (AS-LY), high starch without LY (HS-control), and HS with LY (HS-LY). LY was added at 2.9 × 10⁶ CFU/200 mg DM or without yeast. In vitro gas and methane (CH₄) production, organic matter (OM) digestibility, rumen fermentation, and metabolizable energy (ME) were analyzed. The Hohenheim Gas Test apparatus was used, and total gas volumes were measured at various incubation hours. Results showed no significant effects of LY or dietary starch ratio on gas kinetics, total gas, or CH₄ production. Similarly, OM digestibility, fermentation kinetics, and ME were unaffected. In conclusion, LY supplementation did not alter in vitro gas, CH₄ production, OM digestibility, rumen fermentation, or ME. Further research could investigate the underlying mechanisms, such as rumen microbial population influences.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00082024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0005<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study investigated the effect of replacement of conventional protein source groundnut cake (GNC) with toasted-decorticated <italic>Daniellia oliveri</italic> seed meal (DSM) on haemato-biochemical parameters of lambs. Twenty intact 6-month-old lambs were used in an 84-day experiment. The animals were randomly divided into four treatments containing 0, 25, 50 and 75% DSM replacement levels for GNC. Five animals were randomly allotted to one of dietary treatments in a completely randomised design. The concentrates were formulated to have similar (P&gt;0.05) CP of 181.0 g/kg DM on average. All the other nutrients in the formulated supplements were significantly different (P&lt;0.05). There were increases in levels of organic matter (924.9–961.00 g/kg DM), non-fibre carbohydrates (238.03–329.36 g/kg DM) as well as condensed tannins, as the level of inclusion of DSM in the concentrate diet increased. Packed cell volume, white blood cell, lymphocytes, serum urea and glucose linearly increased (P&lt;0.05) but mean corpuscular haemaoglobin concentration linearly decreased (P&lt;0.05) while other haematological and serum parameters were similar among diets. Blood parameters were within established ranges for healthy sheep. The results indicate that tannins containing <italic>Daniellia oliveri</italic> seed meal can be incorporated up to 75% without compromising body immunity system and health of the animals.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00052024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0007<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The study investigates the effects of composites of selected tropical leaf meals and garlic on laying hens using performance, hormonal, reproductive tract morphometry, and folliculogenesis as response criteria. Fresh (bitter, moringa, scent, and neem) leaves were harvested, air-dried, and mixed with garlic powder in a ratio of 4:3:1:1:1, respectively to produce the garlic-composite leaf mix (G-CLM). A basal diet was prepared, divided into five equal portions and G-CLM was added at 0gkg-1, 5gkg-1, 10gkg-1, 15gkg-1, and 20gkg-1. Two hundred and seventy, 18 weeks old ISA Brown breed were randomly allotted to the five experimental diets and the trial lasted for 4 months. The results showed that hen-day production was highest at 5gkg-1 supplementation. All reproductive hormones measured were also significantly (p&lt;0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments with the exception of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The result showed that significantly (p&lt;0.05) larger Preovu one (2.79 cm) and previtellogenic count (23.33) were observed in birds fed 5 gkg-1. In addition, the heaviest tract weight (46.67 g) and ovary weight (33.00 g) were observed in birds fed 20 gkg-1. It was concluded that the usage of G-CLM at 5 gkg-1 could be encouraged in layer nutrition with the aim to improve the clutch size.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00072024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-0010<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study examined 75 samples of raw meat from cows and camels sold in local marketplaces in the governorate of Najaf/ Iraq, for bacterial load and heavy metal contamination. The culture results were classified into 10 types involving <italic>E. coli</italic> (36–90%) (31–88.5%), <italic>Enterobacter spp.</italic> (7–17.5%) (3–8.5%), <italic>Pseudomonas spp.</italic> (10–25%) (8–22.8%), <italic>Klebsiella spp</italic>. (3–7.5%) (4–11.4%), <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> (4–10%) (5–14.2%), <italic>Staphylococcus epidermidis</italic> (5–12.5%) (5–14.2%), <italic>Proteus spp</italic>. (5–12.5%) (6–17.1%), <italic>E. coli O157</italic> (6–15%) (2–5.7%), <italic>Yersinia enterocolitica</italic> (3–7.5%) (4–11.2%), and <italic>Salmonella spp</italic>. (3–7.5%) (4–11.2%), from cows and camels respectively. The averages of heavy metals concentrations in cow meat samples were 0.54±0.25, 0.50±0.18, 0.33±0.22, 0.22±2.5, 1.0±0.25 mg/kg; however, in camel meat samples were 0.27±0.20, 0.31±0.12, 0.26±0.11, 0.17±1.5 and 0.5±0.15 mg/kg for Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn) respectively. The presence of significant levels of pathogenic microorganisms and metals in the meat samples indicates poor sanitation and hygiene practices during dealing with meat through steps of production, packaging, transportation, and storage, and the high amounts of heavy metal contamination in the environment, which will have an impact on the meat and milk animal products.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2024-00102024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0013<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Fifty-six Hyla breeds of 12-week-old rabbit bucks were randomly distributed across 7 diet groups comprising the control, 0.25% nutmeg seed meal (NSM), 0.50%, 0.25% clove leaf meal (CLM), 0.50% CLM, 0.25% composite nutmeg and clove leaf meal mix (CNCM), and 0.50%CNCM. At the end of the 8 weeks of the experiment, 3 bucks per diet group were sacrificed. The growth performance, haematology, serum biochemical indices, and testicular morphometry of the buck were assessed. The different diet groups significantly increased (P&lt;0.05) the feed intake, weight gained, and feed conversion ratio compared to the control. The highest weight gained and best feed conversion ratio were observed among bucks fed 0.25% CNCM. Dietary supplementation of NSM, CLM, and CLCM at 0.25 and 0.50% levels did not affect (P&gt;0.05) the blood parameters, serum proteins, enzymes, and metabolites except for serum glutathione and catalase activity which revealed that the phytochemicals in NSM and CNCM could effectively combat free scavenging radicals. Testicular weight and densities were positively influenced (P&lt;0.05) by dietary supplements which are indicative of better testicular functions compared to the control. Hence, the synergetic effect of NSM and CLM at 0.25% supplementation level could be incorporated into Bucks’ diet for better productivity.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00132023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0015<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of feeding adult Awassi rams different ratio of dried olive leaves on the reproductive parameters during seven weeks during the breeding season. Three groups of Awassi rams were fed for twelve weeks either a conventional wheat straw-concentrate ration (Control) or experimental rations where 30% (G1) and 60% (G2) of the wheat straw were replaced with dried olive leaves. Animals were fed the same amounts of crude protein and metabolizable energy daily. Results indicated that with the exception of scrotal circumference, no significant (p&gt;0.05) responses were noted for testosterone level, body weight, semen volume, sperm concentration or semen pH values between the tested groups. Analysis of motility characteristics of sperm by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) technique showed no significant differences (p&gt;0.05) between the three groups in the percent motility, percent of sperm showing progressive motility, average path velocity, straight line velocity, curvilinear velocity, percent straightness and percent linearity. It could be concluded that feeding Awassi rams dried olive leaves even at the 60% level did not affect the reproductive characteristics of the Awassi rams and therefore could be used as supplement sources of feeds for small ruminants.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00152023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0019<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study was conducted at the ruminant station of the Technical Institute of Breeding Baba-Ali on the peri-partum period in ewes of the Rembi breed. It focused on the variations of some hematological and biochemical parameters of 7 ewes during 2 months (1 month before lambing and one month after). The blood samples were taken every 15 days, which were analyzed by blood count within the hour following the blood sampling, concerning the hematological parameters. Besides, for the biochemical parameters, the blood was centrifuged and the sera were frozen until the day of analysis. The results of the analysis using logicial R revealed nonsignificant variations (P &gt;0.05) for the following parameters: White blood cells, Lymphocytes, Red blood cells, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, and Blood platelets. These results are contradictory to the results obtained in previous studies except for a study conducted on ewes of the Lacaune breed. Regarding the biochemical parameters, the variation was significant (P&lt;0.05) for cholesterol, urea, and creatinine, but not significant for calcium, glucose and triglycerides (P &gt;0.05). The results obtained are debatable from the results quoted by several authors, except for creatinine which was found to be much higher.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00192023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0014<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>In Romania, the livestock is very scattered on the diverse environmental conditions. Due to difficulties regarding data collection, with the help of genomic selection, the paradigm of genetic improvement of economical traits in Romanian cattle breeds can be changed. Population studied in this paper consist in animals genotyped using 60k SNP panel. Association studies were performed for estimate the effect of SNP polymorphism on milk yield at 305 days. Genetic evaluation was compared under four statistical methodologies were compared under six scenarios 5k, 10k, 15k, 20k, 25k and 37k SNP panels. High association with phenotypes were displayed by 38 SNP’s. Generally, accuracy of the studied models, tend to increase with complexity (informational input). The model with the lowest accuracy was Sire-Model (36.6% accuracy). Adding information in Animal Model increase accuracy of estimation and finally, adding genomic information the accuracy was maximized to 69.9%. For each lactation all the statistical models return highly correlated breeding values. The highest (97.2%) and the lowest (79.2%) rank correlation are registered between Test-Day and Animal Model for the first and second lactation. Genomic evaluation is a more feasible methodology than classical breeding value estimation, in term of accuracy of selection and the quality of the parentage information.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00142023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0020<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Initially, the nutritional value of the three main by-products of <italic>Cannabis sativa</italic> (hempseed cake, second-rate quality hemp seed and hemp hay), cultivated under Greek conditions and collected from four plantations in the Macedonian region was estimated. A second part of the study was the investigation of the effects of diet inclusion with hempseed cake (HSC) on the performance of Holstein dairy cows. The HSC used for this experiment was the one analyzed in the first part of the study. A total number of 20 lactating cows were allocated into two equal groups in a randomized block design. Cows of both groups were offered a total mixed ration (TMR) on the same feed allowance. The diet of the experimental group was formulated with 3.5 % hemp cake, at a quantity of 1kg of hemp cake per cow per day. Milk yield was recorded individually, and feed refusals were recorded on a pen basis daily, during the first 40 days of lactation. Individual milk samples were analyzed for their chemical composition, lipid oxidative stability and fatty acid composition and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) content, as well as feed samples of each group. Individual blood samples were received for biochemical indices assessment. All data were subjected ANOVA statistical analysis. The results of hemp by-products chemical profile showed similar nutritional values among the different cultivation regions. The experimental results indicated that the inclusion of HSC did not affect milk production and composition (P &gt; 0.05). However, diet inclusion with HSC favorably influenced milk fatty acid profile. Finally, serum NEFA concentration was lower for the HSC group while serum urea levels were higher (P &lt; 0.05).</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00202023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0017<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Antibiotics and zinc oxide are therapeutic agents widely used in the livestock industries, reducing significantly the negative effects of weaning by improving the growth rate and decreasing mortality. Although, due to the potential public and environmental risks associated with antibiotic resistance and soil pollution their use in the E.U. has been drastically reduced or banned, thus, alternative solutions been necessary to be develop. The addition of polyphenols to animal feed has shown promising results, as they have a broad antimicrobial activity including against <italic>E. coli</italic> F4 (K88). Moreover, it has been observed to hold a wide range of beneficial properties such as antidiarrhoeic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. In the present study <italic>in vitro</italic> experiments were performed in order to investigate the antimicrobial activity of several polyphenolic extracts obtained from mustard seed meals of two origins (Poland and Moldavia), grape seed meal, sea buckthorn seed meal, rapeseed meal, and rapeseed meal fermented with S. cerevisiae, against <italic>E. coli</italic> F4 (K88) proliferation measured at different intervals for 24 hours. The results revealed that polyphenols have a considerable antimicrobial effect in high concentrations. The inhibition was dependent also on polyphenol composition and even the origin place. Withal, it was observed that the polyphenols extracted from rapeseed meal and fermented rapeseed meal presented noticeable differences in inhibition, in similar concentrations, this suggesting that the fermentation process considerably affects the profile of rapeseed meal polyphenols. Likewise for the Moldavian mustard seed extract which significantly inhibited bacterial growth from very low concentrations although it had a low concentration of total polyphenols. Thus, the polyphenolic content of fermented rape seed meal extract presented an enhanced antimicrobial activity against <italic>E. coli</italic> F4 (K88) compared with the non-fermented rape seed meal extract. Although the total polyphenol concentration was lower in FRSM than in RSM. Polyphenols extracted from Moldavia mustard seed meal exhibited remarkable efficacy in inhibiting bacterial growth. Notably, even at a concentration as low as 3.71 µg/ml, the polyphenols demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity, effectively combating bacterial development. Overall, our study demonstrated that polyphenols represent a promising substitute for antibiotics and zinc oxide and might represent an encouraging long-term solution in overcoming the weaning crisis in pigs. <italic>In vivo</italic> experimentations are needed to validate these results.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00172023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0018<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This research was carried out to evaluate the influence of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature, performance and egg quality of Isa-Brown laying birds. A total of One hundred and eight (108) Isa-Brown laying birds were selected from a healthy stock. The poultry house contained conventional battery cages arranged in a three-tier design. One unit of the battery cage made up of three (3) tiers with three (3) cells per tier was setup to accommodate three (3) birds per cell and a total of 27 birds per unit cage. This setup was replicated for three additional cage units. The performance of the birds was evaluated in terms of the egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, hen day production, and total feed consumed. The results revealed no significant (P &gt;0.05) difference among cage tiers in terms of egg weight and feed conversion ratio but egg mass, hen day production and total feed consumed were significantly influenced. Highest egg mass (38.96g), highest Hen Day production (78.66%) and highest daily feed intake (99.01g) were recorded in birds raised in the upper tier of the cage. For the period of the study, cloaca temperature ranged between 36 °C and 41 °C. Cloaca temperature was not significantly (P &gt;0.05) affected by cage tiers height. In comparison to layers raised in low-tier cages, those raised in high-tier cages had higher egg production and better feed efficiency. These findings suggest that cage tier heights play an important role in the production performance of laying hens but cloaca temperature was not affected. However, further researches on the effect of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature should be carried out in a controlled setting</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00182023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0011<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The study examined the effect of dietary supplementation of <italic>Ficus carica</italic> leaf powder and vitamin C on the antioxidative status of the meat and brain of two hybrids of broiler chicken. Two hundred- and forty-day-old chicks, each of Arbor Acres (AA) and Cobb 500 (C5) hybrids of broiler chicken were randomly assigned to diets. Diet 1 and 2 had no supplement; diets 3 and 4 supplemented with vitamin C (200mg/kg of basal), diet 5 and 6 received 1g <italic>Ficus carica</italic> Leaf Powder (FCLP)/Kg of basal diet while diets 7 and 8 had 1g FCLP/kg of basal diet + 200mg of vitamin C. The interactive effect of hybrid, vitamin C and FCLP significantly influenced the dressing percentage, gizzard, pancreas, heart and proventriculus. Brain catalase and glutathione were significantly influenced by the hybrid, vitamin C and FCLP inclusion. Dietary supplementation of FCLP and vitamin C significantly lower the lipid peroxidation of the meat. There was significant interactive effect of the factors on lipid peroxidation while meat catalase and glutathione were significantly increased by the inclusion of FCLP. This study revealed that the dietary inclusions of broilers’ diets with 1g FCLP and 200mg vitamin C/kg of feed could influence carcass and organs weights as well as improve meat quality and brain antioxidant status of broiler chicken, with the C5 hybrid showing better antioxidative status.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00112023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0016<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study investigated the response of intake, ruminal fermentation, digestibility, N utilisation and growth performance in goats fed concentrate partially substituted with <italic>Parkia biglobosa</italic> foliage (PBF). Fifteen goats were randomly assigned to a control concentrate diet (PBF0) which was partially substituted with 25% PBF (PBF25) or 50% PBF (PBF50) on dry matter (DM) basis. Concentrate, TST and non-fibre carbohydrates intakes (linear and quadratic, P&lt;0.001), digestible organic matter (DOM; linear, P=0.001) and urinary N (linear, P=0.039) decreased with increased PBF level. Condensed tannins intake, fibre fractions and cellulose digestibility, faecal N (linear and quadratic, P&lt;0.05) and ruminal pH (quadratic, P=0.001) increased with increasing PBF level. Average daily gain, DM and crude protein (CP) digestibility, N intake and retention (quadratic, P&lt;0.05), organic matter and hemicellulose digestibility, DM and nutrient intakes, energy concentration, ruminally-fermented DOM and microbial protein synthesis (linear and quadratic, P&lt;0.05), and digestible CP and volatile fatty acids (linear, P&lt;0.05) increased as PBF level increased. Feed:gain ratio and total N excretion (quadratic, P&lt;0.05), and ruminal total N and ammonia N (linear and quadratic, P&lt;0.05) decreased in PBF25. It is concluded that PBF is a cost-effective alternative supplement which could reduce the quantity of concentrate for goat feeding by 50%.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00162023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-0012<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The growth, haemato-biochemical indices, and antioxidant status of broiler chickens fed varying levels of Guanidino Acetic Acid (GAA) were evaluated over the course of an eight-week feeding trial. In low ME (2700Kcal/kg) basal diets, the Guanidino Acetic Acid was supplemented at 0, 0.6, and 1.2g/kg, designated as diets I, II, and III, respectively. The average final weight of chickens fed diet III was the highest at the end of the feeding trial. The best feed conversion ratio was observed in birds fed diet III. The packed cell volume and haemoglobin were highest in birds fed diet I. Significantly higher Cholesterol and Albumin were recorded in diets III and II, respectively. All the antioxidant parameters were significant except Catalase. The glutathione peroxidase increased with increased Guanidino acetic Acid supplementation while Catalase reduced with increased GAA supplementation. According to the findings of this study, Guanidino Acetic Acid improved the health of broilers while having no negative effects on their health. It is therefore concluded that supplementation of Guanidino Acetic Acid at 1.2g/kg with low metabolizable energy promoted superior growth effect of the chickens and also reduce cost of production.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/azibna-2023-00122023-10-21T00:00:00.000+00:00en-us-1