This study was carried out to determine the effect of whole cottonseed (WCS) supplementation on finishing performance and blood parameters of Awassi lambs under heat stress. The compositions of diets for the various treatments were i) control: concentrate without WCS…
Challenges facing the livestock sector towards 2050 and the changes and management considerations required to maintain sustainability are discussed. Major challenges are associated with climate change and the environmental impact of the sector. Southern Africa is predicted to become drier…
Sixty Merino lambs weighing 25 kg were randomly allotted to six different feeding levels as follows: ad libitum, 80%, 71%, 65%, 55% and 45% ad libitum. Individual intakes and live masses were determined weekly. From 25 - 33 kg live…
The profitability of semi-extensive beef production is discussed on the basis of information collected over a 4-year period from 23 farmers from northern Natal who participated in the mail-in record system. Throughout the analysis, the performance of the group average…
A review based on recent research is presented on the production of Sanga (Nguni) cattle in South and South West Africa . The high calving rate of Sanga cattle (89,6%) compared to an average of 77,4% of four other breeds…
Growth and individual cumulative feed intakes (cumFI) of 15 Brahman, 12 Bonsmara and 14 Drakensberger bulls, randomly acquired from various herds, were recorded in a 140-day post-weaning feedlot trial. Of the linear and quadratic regressions fitted to the data of…
The allometric-autoregressive model describes growth accurately and is useful in the characterization of growth responses. Hence, the potential of the model for selection purposes was investigated. Rats were used in a selection experiment, where selection was practised for slope (b)…
Sixty Dorper lambs, comprising 30 ewe and 30 ram lambs, were divided into six groups of five ewe and five ram lambs each. Each group received, on an ad libitum basis, one of six diets consisting of a concentrate: roughage…
An experiment was conducted using 96 individually caged male broilers between 49 and 77 d of age. One objective was to establish phenotypic relationships between some production traits [feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed consumption, residual feed consumption (RFC), relative weight…
There is a paucity of literature characterizing response to varying levels of feed intake in goats. A controlled experiment was designed at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) with purebred goats, to measure feed intake, and its subsequent effects on growth…
Data on cumulative feed intake, growth rate and chemical body constituents of 24 ostrich chicks, from a comparative slaughter experiment, were utilized to describe patterns of efficiency of feed utilization, deposition rates of protein, fat and body energy, as well…
The effect of changing dietary energy and crude fibre concentrations on the utilization of metabolizable energy (ME) was investigated in four growing ostrich chicks by addition of lucerne meal to a maize-lucerne based diet. The experiment was carried out in…
Growth-related parameters, such as feed intake, growth rate and feed efficiency were investigated in ewe lambs of two genetically related synthetic lines and the Dorper. Ten ewe lambs in each of the three groups were individually fed in metabolism cages…
The production performance of primiparous Holstein Friesland and Jersey cows wascompared under local conditions during summer. A complete diet providing 15% crude protein (CP), 13% crude fiber (CF) and 10.8 MJ ME/kg dry matter (DM) was fed twice daily on…
Water intake, efficiency and consumption of 30 growing individually fed Blackhead Persian, Dorper and South African Mutton Merino (Mutton Merino) ewe lambs were investigated. Average daily water intakes were 2.2, 4.6 and 5.4 litre for the Blackhead Persian, Dorper and…
Weights and individual feed intake data of 30 Dorper crossbred ewes and their single-born lambs were collected from conception to weaning. The data were used to calculate actual weaning efficiency of the individual ewe-lamb units [AEFF = lamb weaning weight/DDMI…
Estimates of (co)variance components were obtained for growth and efficiency traits in a multibreed synthetic beef cattle herd. Components were estimated simultaneously by fitting four alternative seven-trait models. Direct heritabilities varied according to the model fitted but were higher for…
