Aim: A 56 days feeding trial was conducted with 225 Marshal Broiler chicks to evaluate the effect of activated coconut charcoal on their growth performance and nutrient digestibility. Study Design: The design of the experiment was completely randomized design (CRD).

Eighty one (81) weaned rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes (male and female) were randomly allotted to nine treatment groups with nine rabbits per treatment. Each treatment had three replicates with three rabbits per replicate. Processed tallow was included in the diets as a source of protein which was set at 16 % CP. The control diet had 100 % palm kernel cake (PKC) and 0 % tallow seed meal (TSM). Diets 1-4 contained cooked tallow seed meal (CTSM) included at 75 % PKC: 25 % CTSM, 50 % PKC: 50% CTSM, 25% PKC:75 % CTSM and 0 % PKC: 100 % CTSM, while groups 5-8 had fermented tallow seed meal diets (FTSM) and included at the same levels as in the cooked diets. Fifty four rabbits were randomly selected for slaughtering from the nine groups with six rabbits (male and females) per group. Fatty acid content of the hind leg of rabbits were determined. All the fatty acids measured were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the processing methods except decosenoic acid methyl ester and pentadecanoic acid methyl esters. The levels of inclusion of tallow also significantly (P<0.05) affected all the fatty acids composition measured. It was therefore concluded that irrespective of the processing methods the use of tallow in the diets of rabbits has no negative effect on the fatty acid composition of rabbit meat.

This study was conducted to assess the effect of common salt supplementation on the performance of young sheep fed maize bran and ground nut hay as basal diet. It covered a period of 12 weeks. A 3×3 Latin square design was employed in the experiment. The daily feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were measured during the experimental period. Results showed that the inclusion of common salt at the level of 1.0% of feed had no significant effect on feed intake (p>0.05). There was depressed feed intake as quantity of salt increased from 0.0%, to 0.5% and 1.0%. The best mean average daily weight gain of 43.45%was obtained with the 1.0% treatment. Salt inclusion up to 1.0% level in sheep ration, had no adverse effect on performance, it rather gave a more favorable weight gain and conversion efficiency. These findings are of very practical significance in sheep fattening, especially for farmers in rural setups.

The study examined the effect of dietary antioxidant supplementation on the performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. Namely, 300 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were fed a starter diet from 1 to 4 weeks and a finisher diet for the last 4 weeks. Birds were randomly assigned to treatments based on antioxidant supplementation in drinking water at 0.02% butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), ordinary water (OW), 0.02% sweet orange peel extract (SOPE), 0.02% shaddock peel extract (SHPE) and 0.02% lemon peel extract (LMPE) per litre of water in a completely randomized design experiment. Feed intake and body weight gain were recorded on a weekly basis. Three birds were selected in each treatment and slaughtered for meat quality determination. BHA and LMPE treatments had the best weight gain and feed conversion efficiency at the significance level (p<0.05). There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the shear force (force peak and yield) in the dietary antioxidants fed to the birds. Sensory parameters (taste, aroma and overall acceptability) show significant differences (p<0.05) amongst the treatments. However, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in appearance and texture perception amongst treatments. Finally, significant differences (p<0.05) in the lightness (L*) and redness (a*) of the meat samples were observed amongst the treatments. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the yellowness (b*) amongst the treatments. It can be concluded that broiler birds fed SOPE, SHPE and LMPE treatments performed better and that these treatments enhanced the meat quality of the birds when compared to BHA and OW treatments.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of varying aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts (AMOLE) on the gut morphology and pH of Hubbard broiler chickens. Atotal of 240 Hubbard broiler chickens were randomly allocated into six treatments with four replicates in a completely randomized design. The treatments were positive control (AMOLE ), negative + control (AMOLE), AMOLE60 (60mL of the extracts per litre), AMOLE90 (90mL of the extracts per litre), AMOLE120 (120mL of the extracts per litre) and AMOLE150 (150mL of the extracts per litre). Data on gut morphology weight and length and their pH were measured and analysed by one way analysis of variance. The results showed that dressed, crop, large intestine, kidney and lung weights of birds were influenced (P<0.05) by the treatments. Birds in the control treatments (94.67 %, 94.93 %) had the higher (P<0.05) dressing percentage. Birds on the AMOLE60 had the higher (P<0.05) crop and large intestine weights (4.47 and0.23 %, respectively). The birds on the AMOLE90 treatment had the largest kidney weight of 0.33 %. Absolute crop and caecum length were influenced byaqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts while the relative caecum length was the only relative organ length that was influenced by aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts treatment.The pH of the internal organs showed that the gizzards, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, kidney and lung were influenced (P<0.05) by the treatments. Birds on positive control treatment had higher pH values in most of the parameters measured. Birds on the AMOLE120 had the lowest (P<0.05) duodenum, jejunum and lung pH. This study revealed AMOLE had influence on the gut morphology and pH of broiler chickens. Therefore, it can be concluded that the substitution of antibiotics as a growth promoter with aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts up to 120 ml improved the gut morphology and pH of the intestinal segmentsin broiler chickens. Thus, is recommended that farmers, poultry producers and nutritionists to administer between 60 and 120 mL/litre of AMOLE in the drinking water of broiler chickens to nourish them for good gut morphology and optimum pH of their internal organs.