FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
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Item Feed intake, nutrient utilization and growth performance of West African Dwarf rams fed silage combinations of maize forage and mucuna pruriens foliage(The Nigerian Society for Animal Production, 2017) Alabi, B. O.; Ososanya, T. O.Crude protein is essentially needed for ruminants but expensive to supply. Mucuna puriens is a high yielding domesticated legume. When the legume is strategically combined with a fibre source, it will make a good diet for ruminants. Thus, a study was carried out to assess the effect of ensiling mucuna with maize forage on performance of rams. In the study, rams were fed silage combinations of Maize Forage (MF) and Mucuna pruriens foliage (MPF). Downy mildew and streak resistant (DMR-SR) yellow variety maize was planted and harvested as MF at six weeks of growth and ensiled with MPF at four levels: 1:0, 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 for 21 days. All the four silages were fed to 20 WAD rams (12.00±0.25 Kg) in a completely randomised design for 105 days. Proximate composition of the silages, apparent nutrient digestibility of silages in WAD rams, feed intake and weight changes were determined using standard procedures, while feed conversion ratio was computed using standard procedures. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α(0.05) The dry matter (DM) was significantly higher in T1 (25.65±0.62) and T2 (23.48±0.47) than T3 (21,80±0.41) and T4 (21.57±0.40). The crude protein (CP) was highest in T4 (13.0±0.6) and least in T1 (8.0±0.2). The crude fibre was significantly higher in T1 (26.4±2.6) and T2 (26.2±2.0) than T3 (24.0±1.8) and T4 (21.6±0.9). Apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) was highest in T2 (59.2±1.7) and least in T4 (37.7±1.9), while percentage nitrogen retention was significantly higher in T2 (43.2x±3.8) and lower in T1 (20.0x4.3). The FCR for rams fed T2 was significantly lower (8.84±1.2) than T1 (9.76±0.80), T3 (9.60±0.60) and T4 (11.50±0.90) Ensiling maize forage with Mucuna pruriens foliage at 3:1 enhanced nutrient digestibility and growth performance in West African dwarf rams without any deleterious effect.Item Utilization of graded levels of corn cobs and cowpea husk on growth performance of West African dwarf ewes(2015) Ososanya, T. O.; Alabi, B. O.Corncob (CC) and cowpea husk (CH) are by – products of maize and cowpea production respectively. They can be used as alternative feed resources for ruminants especially during the dry season. A 70d study was conducted to determine the effects of CC and CH based diets on performance of WAD rams. Sixteen ewes were allotted to four feeding regimes: A (100% CC), B (66.7% CC + 33.3%CH), C (33.3% CC + 66.7% CH) and D (100% CH). The sheep were randomly allotted to four diets with four animals per treatment. Digestibility was conducted using metabolic cages which allowed for separate collection of faeces and urine. Samples were analyzed for crude protein and fibre fractions: {acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL)} using standard procedures. Dry matter intake (DMI), live weight changes (LWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and nutrient digestibility were the parameters assessed. DMI ranged from 22.04 kg to 41.07 kg with significant (P < 0.05) differences and LWG ranged from 4.14 gd-1 to 41.71 gd-1 across the diets. Also, FCR ranged from 14.06 in diet C to 45.68 in diet A with significant (P < 0.05) differences across the diets. CP digestibility was highest in diet D (88.01%) and lowest in diet A (72.06%) while ADF, NDF and ADL were highest in diet C and lowest in diet B. However, nutrients digestibility increased with increasing level of cowpea husk in the diets. The result show that highest weight gain and efficient utilization was achieved at 66.7% CH and 33.3% CC inclusion levels.Item Quality and acceptability of velvet bean (mucuna pruriens) foliage ensiled with whole plant maize by West Africa dwarf sheep(2014) Alabi, B. O.; Ososanya, T. O.; Olorunnisomo, O. A.This experiment was conducted to determine the suitability of Velvet Bean Foliage (VBF) and Whole Plant Maize (WPM) silage as dry season feed for ruminants in Southwest of Nigeria. In this study, WPM was ensiled with five levels of VBF (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). Physical characteristics, temperature, pH and proximate composition of the silages were assessed after 21 days of ensiling. Preference for the silage by ruminants was determined using twelve West African dwarf (WAD) rams. Results revealed that pH, temperature and physical characteristics of all silages were within acceptable range except for VBF -100 which did not make good silage. The appearance, smell and texture of all the silage mixtures compromised increasing level of VBF while the pH increased. The pH of the silage varied from 3.92-7.98. Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and crude fibre (CF) concentration in the silages ranged from 20.67 - 26.65, 8.02 - 15.77, 26.42 - 1926g/100g, respectively. The DM and CF of the silages reduced with increasing level of VBF in the mixture while the CP increased. Coefficient of preference (CoP) for the silage varied from 0.79 to 1.13 while percentage preference varied from 15.58 - 22.50%. The coefficient of preference (CoP) was above unity for VBF (0, 25, 50 and 75) but less than unity for VBF- 100, showing that rams preferred silage with whole plant maize to sole VBF. This result suggests that quality of Whole plant maize silage improved when velvet bean foliage was added; however, acceptability by WAD rams was compromised.Item Haematology parameters of West African dwarf rams fed velvet bean (mucuna pruriens) ensiled with whole maize stover(Animal Science Association of Nigeria, 2015) Alabi, B. O.; Ososanya, T. O.The haematological characteristics of West African Dwarf (WAD) Rams fed velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) foliage ensiled with whole maize were determined. Twenty (20) growing rams aged 10-15 months with mean weight ranging between 11.75-12.00kg were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments comprising five animals per dietary treatment in a completely randomized design (CRD). Treatment 1 contained 100% ensiled whole maize, Treatment 2 contained 75% whole maize + 25% Mucunapruriensfoliage silage, Treatment 3 contained 50% whole maize + 50% Mucunapruriensfoliage silage, Treatment 4 contained 25%> whole maize + 75% Mucunapruriensfoliage silage respectively. Each animal receive each diet at 5% body weight for 105 days. Blood was collected through jugular vein and put into well lebelled bottle containing anticoagulant ethylene diaminetetracetic acid (EDTA). The blood samples were analyzed for Red blood cell (RBC) count, Parked cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils and monocytes. Significant differences (P<0.05) were obtained in haemoglobin and neutrophil which range from 6.11-9.87g/dl and 35.28 - 41.23% respectively while other parameters investigated showed no significant (P>0.05) differences. The nutritional health status of the rams can be enhanced when fed Mucunapruriensfoliage and whole maize silage but best result could be obtained when fed silage containing 75% whole maize and 25% Mucunapruriens.