The growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients of weaned rabbits fed corn-soybean meal basal diets containing different forms of cocoa pod husk meal were determined. A total of 60 mixed breed rabbits of both sexes (30 bucks and 30 does) with average initial weight of 606.42±1.30g were used in a nine week feeding trial using a completely randomized design. Twelve is nitrogenous and is caloric diets were formulated containing sundried (T1 T2, T3 & T4), fermented (T5 T6, T7 & T8), and hot-water treated (T9 T10, T11 & T12) cocoa pod husk meal (CPHM) each at 0, 12.5, 25 and 37.5% levels of inclusion, respectively. Diet with 0% CPHM served as the control in the different forms of the cocoa pod husk meal based diets. Growth performance parameters (feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio) were determined, while apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients were determined at the 9th week using the direct in vivo method. The digestibility coefficients were calculated using appropriate formula. Results of the study revealed that the final weight, total weight gain and average daily feed intake recorded significant (P<0.05) differences between dietary treatments. When compared with values in the control, diets with the highest inclusion level (37.5%) CPHM had the least total weight gain with the sundried, fermented and hot-water treated groups having 557.50, 570.83 and 390.00 g/rabbit respectively. The average daily feed intake declined with increasing levels of sundried CPHM (i.e. 66.94, 62.56, 59.27 and 52.98 g/rabbit/day, respectively). The hot-water treated CPHM diets recorded the worst FCR beyond 12.5% level when compared with other forms of CPHM. Some of the apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients for ash and NFE recorded significant (P<0.05) differences between dietary treatments, while crude protein, crude fibre and ether extract digestibility coefficients were statistically similar across dietary treatments in all the three forms of CPHM. The sundried CPHM had the least digestible crude protein (75.07%) at the highest inclusion level (37.5%). The study concludes that the three different forms of cocoa pod husk meal in the following order of superiority (fermented, hot-water treated and sundried) can be included in diets meant for rabbits at levels not exceeding 25% for optimum growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients .

This study evaluated the effect of four weeks of microbial exposure to anise oil (ANO) on the fermentation activities of ruminal micro-organisms and the biohydrogenation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). A total of six Hartline × Texel cross lambs were used. Three of the lambs were randomly assigned to the basal diet (basal diet group, BDG) and the remaining three lambs were offered basal diet with ANO (anise oil group, AOG) for four weeks. The rumen fluid donor lambs were offered water and hay ad libitum and supplemented with additional 400 g/sheep/day of concentrate plus 2.4 g/sheep/day of ANO (for the AOG). The ANO was thoroughly mixed with the concentrate prior to feeding. The total amount (400 g) of lamb finisher cubes offered per sheep/day was divided into two equal parts (200 g) and fed at 08.00 and 16.00 hours, respectively. After the four weeks' exposure period, lambs were slaughtered and ruminal fluid (RF) was collected from each of the lambs on BDG and on AOG and used in a 48 h in vitro batch culture system to study the fermentation of a 70: 30 grass hay (Lolium perenne) and concentrate (lamb finisher) diet. The study was a 2 (batches of rumen fluid: BDG and AOG) × 2 (doses of ANO: 0 and 200 mg/L) factorial design experiment. Results showed that total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) in RF extracted from lambs on the BDG (242.0 mM) was similar to that in the AOG (242.2 mM). Concentrations of TVFA in in vitro digests were similar between groups on the BDG (68.6 mM) and on the AOG (66.4 mM), but differed between levels of anise oil (0 versus 200 mg/L). The levels of NH 3 -N were not different (P>0.05) between the RF collected from AOG and BDG. However, in vitro results showed that AOG 200 mg/L induced a 20% decrease on the concentration of NH 3-N in fermentation vessels, relative to BDG 0 mg/L. The in vitro digesta incubated in RF from the AOG (i.e. AOG 200 mg/L) maintained higher concentrations of PUFA (C18:2 n-6 and n-3 PUFA), transvacceric acid and lower concentration of stearic acid. This suggests that there was no rumen adaptation within the period of trial. This study concludes that anise oil is potentially a useful feed additive to optimise the fatty acid composition of ruminant feedstuffs, if these effects are repeated in meat and milk.

The use of antibiotics as feed additives in animal production has been a source of health concern. A practical approach is the supplementation of animal feeds with rare earth element. Thus, this study was carried out with 225 day – old broiler chicks (CHI strain) to evaluate the influence of dietary Lanthanum oxide (La O ) on the blood characteristics and 2 3 ovarian morphometry. The feeding trial lasted eight weeks before the parameters were determined. The dietary treatments were designated as T , T , T , T and T . The T served as 1 2 3 4 5 1 the negative control without La O while T was the positive control with antibiotic. La O was 2 3 2 2 3 supplemented to T , T , T , and T at 100, 200 and 300 ppm, respectively. The birds were 3 4 3 5 divided into five groups of 45 each and randomly assigned to the five experimental diets using a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was further divided into three replicates of fifteen (15) birds each and reared in a brooding unit and later on a deep litter house. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Results showed that the haematologicalparameters were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by dietary treatments, except the differential leucocytes (eosinophils, lymphocytes and  neutrophils); while in terms of the serum- biochemical indices, only cholesterol and bi-carbonate contents were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. The ovarian weight was significantly (P<0.05)influenced by dietary treatments. The results of this study suggest that dietary La O up to 300 2 3 ppm will not adversely affect the blood (haematological and serum biochemical) characteristics and ovarian morphometry of broiler chickens.

An 8-week feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effect of graded levels of synthetic methionine on the growth performance, blood and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. A total of 120 day-old chicks of Amobyn strain with mean body weight of 36.67g were randomly divided into four groups of 30 chicks each to constitute treatments T 1 (0% control), T 2 (0.20% methionine), T 3 (0.40% methionine) and T 4 (0.60% methionine), respectively. Each group was further divided into three replicates of 10 birds each in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Feed and water were provided ad libitum and all the birds were managed on a deep litter floor under the same environmental conditions for 56 days. All data were subjected to One-way analysis of variance and significant mean values were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test. The results obtained for starter broiler chickens showed that total feed intake, weekly feed intake, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments while the results for finisher chickens showed that only the final body weight was significantly (P< 0.05) influenced. The blood characteristics showed that monocytes, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. The serum biochemical indices showed no significant (P>0.05) differences between dietary treatments on all parameters. Carcass characteristics showed significant (P<0.05) differences between dietary treatment in pre-slaughter weight, lungs weight, intestinal length, intestinal weight as well as weight of spleen and oesophagus. Therefore, this study concludes that synthetic methionine can be included in the diets of broiler chickens up to 0.60% without detrimental effects on their growth performance, blood and carcass characteristics.

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