In the arid sweetveld regions of South Africa producers are marketing beef steers increasingly as long weaners (ca. 12 months of age) or finishing them on the natural grazing to a ready-to-slaughter stage at between 18 and 30 months of…
Four hundred and eighty 54-week old Nick-Brown hens were assigned to four dietary treatments. Each treatment consisted of four replications of 10 cages (three hens per cage). The experimental diets were: 4.5 g available phosphorus (aP)/kg without phytase (control); 4.5…
The efficiency of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) and fluorogestone acetate (FGA) sponges for synchronizing oestrus in lactating Saanen goats was investigated during the transition from non-breeding to natural breeding season. Does were treated for 11 days with 60 mg MAP (n=19)…
Six Red Maasai sheep were used to investigate the effects of urea treatment and cotton seed cake supplementation of maize stover on intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters. The basal feeds were Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay (H), untreated maize…
The effect of the inclusion of meat and bone meal (MBM) in the diet of old laying hens on their egg production and the quality of their eggs was investigated. Meat and bone meal containing a high concentration of ash…
Yearling live weight and fleece trait data were obtained from between 2214 and 2270 yearling SA Mutton Merino progeny of the Elsenburg flock during a 20-year period from 1983 to 2002. Information of (co)variances for these traits in SA Mutton…
The body composition, carcass characteristics and retail cuts of 61 Dormers (21 rams and 40 ewes) and 35 South African Mutton Merinos (SAMM) (17 rams and 18 ewes) were determined. A range of carcass measurements was recorded. Since there was…
Performance parameters and oxidation of body lipids of broiler chickens were investigated when their diet was supplemented with a commercial preparation of essential oils (Apacox) derived from selected herbs. One hundred and twenty day-old Cobb-500 female chicks were divided into…
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effect of age, season and the interaction between age and season on the sperm morphological characteristics of a selected population of Friesland bulls kept at an artificial insemination (AI) centre.…
The present study was carried out to determine some egg quality characteristics and storage related changes using computer assisted digital image analysis (CADIA) in an 18-month old moulted brown layer (Lohmann Brown) flock. A total of 150 newly laid eggs…
The present study was carried out to determine the effects of using dried rose dreg (DRD) as an alternative litter material for broiler performance and microbiological characteristics of litter. A total of 225 day-old broiler chicks was raised on pine…
Little is known about the factors affecting leather and skin traits in ostriches. The effect of age on physical skin traits of slaughter ostriches was consequently investigated. Forty skins representing slaughter ages ranging from five to 14 months were selected…
The study provides information on the reproductive performance of ostriches maintained at different stocking rates and male:female (M:F) ratios under intensive commercial conditions in the Little Karoo, South Africa. Breeding ostriches are concentrated on relatively small areas and through trampling…
The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the prevention of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) toxicity in the broiler chicken. A total of 99 Ross 308 male broiler chicks was assigned…
A model including fixed and random linear regressions is described for analyzing body weights at different ages. In this study, (co)variance components, heritabilities for quail weekly weights and genetic correlations among these weights were estimated using a random regression model…
A study was conducted to investigate the effects of wood ash treatment on the nutritional value of high tannin sorghum. High tannin sorghum was either soaked in wood ash slurry and then germinated for four days or soaked in wood…
Samples of sweet yellow lupins (Lupinus luteus; n = 4), broad leaf lupins (Lupinus albus; n = 12), narrow leaf lupins (Lupinus angustifolius; n = 8), faba beans (Vicia faba; n = 2), field peas (Pisum sativum; n = 4)…
The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of applying an inoculant and formic acid at commercially recommended rates to big bale silage on the quality, protein and cell wall ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of undegraded protein.…
This study was carried out to determine the effect of live weight, male to female ratio and breeder age on egg weight and the hatching characteristics in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Female quails at the age of six weeks,…
The production performance of ewes was assessed in a terminal crossbreeding experiment involving five Merino and Merino-type dam lines and two terminal crossbreeding sire breeds. Dam lines were SA Mutton Merino (SAMM), SAMM rams crossed to Merino ewes (SAMM cross),…
