Alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) as a strong protease inhibitor plays a major role in the protection of tissues against proteolytic destruction by neutrophil elastase. Existence of this protein in the mammary gland may increase the survival of milk proteins such as lactoferrin…
The goals of this research were to document the historical selection applied by Nguni breeders that contributed to the national genetic evaluation scheme, and to offer prospective breeding objectives to guide future selection practices. Genetic selection differentials, weighted by number…
Somatic cell count (SCC) is of economic importance in dairy production as it directly influences the revenue from the sale of milk. The current study was carried out to determine the economic value of SCC in South African Holstein and…
The costs of internal parasite control and treatment are potentially very high in grazing sheep. Faecal worm egg count (FEC) has been suggested as a suitable criterion for selection for resistance to nematode infestation in livestock. Genetic parameter estimates for…
The objective of the work was to evaluate the influence of genetic and mechanical removal of hulls from oat grains on their nutrient content. The studies included three cultivars and six lines of oat grains. In grain samples of hulled…
Well-defined breeding objectives form the basis of sound genetic improvement programmes. Breeding objectives for Holstein cattle in South Africa were developed in the current study. Economic values were calculated for those economically relevant traits that had adequate bio-economic data, namely…
The present study assessed the effect of lambda cyhalothrin, cypermethrin and dimethoate residues in cowpea haulm on microbial fermentation using gas syringes as incubators. The lambda cyhalothrin, cypermethrin and dimethoate were applied at the vegetative, flowering and podding stages of…
Subjectively assessed wool and conformation traits form part of the selection objective in wool sheep enterprises. The present study investigated the genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations for nematode resistance (using faecal worm egg count (FEC)) with subjectively assessed wool and…
This study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) supplementation as a possible alternative to antibiotic growth promoters on bone breaking strength (BBS), tibia bone morphology and inorganic ash content in broiler chickens. A…
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary flaxseed oil on the fatty acid (FA) composition of two types of muscles, longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST), of Mangalitsa pigs reared in an extensive system. Fourteen…
In Kenya, selection of dams for the national contract mating scheme is based on 305-day lactation milk yield (TMY) performance across parities. At farm level, only cows that had good TMY performance in previous parity are retained for the subsequent…
This study was conducted to study the effect of nigella seed oil as an alternative to the antibiotic, avilamycin, on growth, digestibility, muscle fatty acid profile and some physiological parameters in broiler chickens. Fifty four chicks at 15 d of…
A trial was conducted to evaluate whether the addition of commercial enzyme preparations containing carbohydrases and a protease would increase the available metabolizable energy (ME) of maize-soya-based broiler diets. Seven thousand five hundred and sixty (7560) day-old Ross 788 chicks…
The effect of replacing maize grain with wheat as an energy source in total mixed rations (TMRs) on feed intake and milk yield parameters was determined for dairy cows. Three feeding trials were conducted using different roughages, namely lucerne hay…
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean oil (SBO), typical in broiler diets, with a less expensive commercial fat blend, Kofat (KOF). A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experimental design was used to study the…
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of cage tier and age on performance characteristics of layer hybrids, egg quality and some stress parameters. Ninety laying hens (hybrid ATAK-S) of similar bodyweights were used in the experiment. They were…
The objective of this study was to compare the chemical composition and ruminal degradation of whole pod, exomesocarp, endocarp and seed fractions of red and white mesquite pods. The pods contained on average 220 g free sugars, 78 g crude…
The history of sheep breeding research in South Africa can be divided roughly into four eras, namely the research and development phase, the commencement of recording and evaluation, the expansion of recording schemes, and, most recently, the adaptation of schemes…
The aim of the study was to analyse whether, and to what extent, the use of RRR-d-α-tocopherol in diets containing oil rich in linoleic or linolenic acid (soybean or linseed oil, respectively) would make it possible to halve the dosage…
Fitness is of paramount importance to efficient and profitable beef production. Thus, the objective of this study was to estimate genetic components of fitness traits measured in Afrikaner (A), Brahman (B), Charolais (C), Hereford (H) and Simmentaler (S). For this…
