Live weight and weight of body parts of 60 mature indigenous chickens were collected to investigate whether the use of ratios in poultry science may cause misinterpretation of data and misleading conclusions. Three villages from Mukula Tribal land in Thulamela…
Twenty Large White boars and 60 sows were used in two experiments for this study. In experiment 1, 20 sows were assigned per group to each of three treatments, twice daily for a 30-min period during a 4-wk observation, involving:…
Dagginess predisposes sheep to breech strike and can be controlled with management practices (e.g. mulesing, crutching) or by treating the animal with an anthelmintic. The effect of regular treatment with crystals derived from Aloe spp as a natural anthelmintic was…
The objective of the study was to determine the effect of season on faecal egg counts and biochemical profiles in indigenous Nguni goats of South Africa. Body weights, body condition scores, faecal and blood samples were collected from 96 goats…
There is concern whether cabbage and beetroot wastes from the Fresh Produce Market are safe for feeding animals given the fact that some will have been discarded at the onset of putrefaction. This study evaluated the effects of sun-drying on…
Potato hash was mixed with wheat bran at 7:3 ratio, treated with homofermentative LAB inoculant (BMF, bonsilage forte), heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (LFLB, Lalsil Fresh LB) and without LAB inoculant and ensiled in 210 L drums for 90 days…
The effects of incremental levels (0, 24 and 36%) of sun-dried and coarsely ground Opuntia cladodes in balanced diets on feed and water intake and excretion of urine and faeces were investigated. Nine Dorper wethers (mean live weight 45.3 ±…
Opuntia is generally recognized as a fruit crop for semi-arid, subtropical conditions around the world. The majority of Opuntia plant biomass is palatable and is a cladode material rather than fruits which can be fed to livestock. An experiment was…
The value of cold press soya bean oil cake (CPSBOC) as the source of protein in beef cattle was evaluated. CPSBOC was included in the diets of beef weaners at different levels i.e. 0%, 6%, 13% and 20%. The control…
In previous reports, Nguni type cattle have shown to have a lower glycolytic potential with less glycogen measured in muscles 1 h post-mortem. With the release of catecholamines in the immediate pre-slaughter period, there is potential for depletion of muscle…
Preferences of adult Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were examined to identify focal spots for vectors of African Horse Sickness (AHS). Five similar regions across five farms were sampled at regular periods over one year. The catches were identified to species…
Locating breeding sites of disease vectors is an essential part of their control and the subsequent control of the diseases that they transmit. African Horse Sickness (AHS) is vectored by Culicoides midges and, while information is available on their breeding…
Light colour and source preference testing has been conducted for C. brevitarsus in Australia but have not been performed in South Africa. Data from the Australian trials show an increased affinity for light from Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) rather than…
