No abstract

The objective of this investigation is to evaluate impacts of some chemical and biological treatments on the chemical composition, cell wall constituents and in situ degradability of olive cake (OC). OC was treated by water (control, T 1 ), 8% molasses (T 2 ), 7% urea (T 3 ), 8% molasses + 7% urea (T 4 ), 8% molasses + 1.5% sodium hydroxide (T 5 ), 8% molasses + 3% sodium hydroxide (T 6 ), 8% molasses + 6% lime (T 7 ), 8% molasses + 8% lime (T 8 ), 8% molasses + 10% lime (T 9 ), 8% molasses + 0.25% Cata pro ® (T 10 ), 8% molasses + 0.5% Cata pro ® (T 11 ) and 8% molasses + 1% Cata pro ® (T 12 ). The initial moisture in all treatments was adjusted at 65%. The obtained results revealed that the chemical and biological treatments of OC for 30 days had positive advances on the chemical composition of OC, where the crude protein values increased, while the crude fiber contents decreased. The best improvements were occurred by adding molasses with lime (T 9 ) or with 1% Cata pro ® (T 12 ). Also, the neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and total tannins decreased with all treatments. T 9 recorded the least content of cellulose, however the lowest percentage of total tannins was observed with T 6 . Among the biological treatments of OC, the maximum reduction in cellulose content accompanied by the minimum concentration of total tannins was detected with T 12 . All treatments led to improve crude protein, disappearance of NDF, ADF and ADL after 24 and 48 hours of the in situ degradability of OC. The T 9 and T 12 were the most effective treatments. Conclusively, the best improvement of chemical composition, cell wall constituents and in situ degradability of OC were occurred by 8% molasses + 10% lime (T 9 ), followed by 8% molasses + 1% Cata pro ® (T 12 ).

The study was conducted to determine the replacement value of millet for maize as a source of energy in the diets of growing rabbits. Forty weaned mongrel rabbits were used for the study. The rabbits were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with eight rabbits per treatments. The rabbits were kept for eight weeks during which they were fed formulated feed in which maize was replaced with millet at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% levels weight, carcass weight, head, tail, small intestine, large intestine, spleen, heart and stomach were all similar across the treatments. In the economic analysis, the total feed intake was observed higher in T5 (3.96kg) and least feed intake in T4 (3.81kg). T1 had the highest feed cost/kg. Total weight gain was higher in T4 and feed cost/gain was observed high in T1 with the value (N78.28).