The data used for this study were collected on 16 644 kids born between 2000 and 2004 in 12 different Angora goat studs representing different management systems. Body weight and growth rate of kids from birth to 16 months of…
According to the returns to the Department of Animal health and Production in December 1996 there were only 10 registered ostrich farms in Botswana with a total of 4305 ostriches kept. Ostriches of all ages were kept and the juveniles,…
The development of low erucic acid, low glucosinolate cultivars of canola seed has led to the availability of a feed ingredient with considerable potential to replace soyabean meal in diets for all classes of farm animals. The sinapine and glucosinolate…
An 80-day feeding trial was conducted as two experiments to evaluate the effects of replacement of fish meal (FM) and soyabean meal (SBM) protein with hazelnut meal (HM) protein in the diets of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. Growth parameters…
The performance of two fat-tailed sheep breeds, Chaal and Zandi, and their F1 and R1 crossbred lambsfrom a lean-tailed breed, Zel, was compared. The weaned lambs from the Chaal and Zandi groups were finished over periods of 105 and 90…
Data on linear body measurements (LBM) of ca. 100 Zulu sheep raised under extensive management systems at four sites in northern KwaZulu-Natal were collected over a period of 2.5 years (October 2000 to May 2003). Data were used to quantify…
Breeding indigenous cows to terminal sires may facilitate production of calves in the emerging sector that better meet commercial feedlot requirements. Thus, the objective of this research was to develop breeding objectives for Angus and Charolais terminal sires to be…
The objective of this work was to estimate and compare the growth curve parameters for live weight of indigenous Venda and Naked Neck chickens and carry out some analyses to test the existence of differences in the growth pattern between…
The objective of this study was to establish a fine woolled Merino flock at the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute in order to evaluate the production and reproduction performance of fine woolled animals against a control line on natural pastures in…
The aim of the study was to characterize the polymorphism of the Calpastatin (CAST) gene identified with three restriction enzymes (TaqI, HinfI, MspI) in Meishan and five other pig populations, and to provide information on their potential in marker-assisted selection…
Several layers of cumulus cells surround the oocyte in the antral ovarian follicle throughout the follicular development until ovulation. The cumulus cells play an important supportive and regulative role in oocyte development and maturation via intercellular communications between oocytes and…
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary oils on growth performance of broiler chicks vaccinated with La Sota vaccine against Newcastle disease. One hundred and seventy five 1-week old Ross PM3 male broiler chicks were…
The present study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary metabolisable energy (ME) density and L-carnitine supplementation on the performance, carcass traits and blood parameters of broiler chickens. The experiment was designed with three levels of dietary energy (low,…
The purpose of this paper was to derive economic values for beef production, carcass quality and fitness traits for the Simmentaler breed in Southern Africa. Income was partitioned between weaners, surplus heifers and cull cows. Expenses were calculated for all…
The development of economic selection indices for an integrated Simmentaler production system was described. The breeding objective was defined in terms of production-, functional- and product quality traits. Criteria included in the total index were birth- and weaning weight (direct…
The aim of the study was to monitor the physiological changes in plasma free amino acid profiles in Boer goats under nutritional restriction. Fifteen Boer goat bucks were allocated to two experimental groups: CG (control), fed Themeda trianda hay, supplemented…
Cactus pear cladodes in ruminant diets are characterized by the production of wet faeces and assumed to be diarrhoea. Incremental levels of sun-dried and coarsely ground spineless cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica var. Algerian) cladodes were used to substitute part of…
A study was conducted to determine the in vivo and in vitro limestone solubility of different mixtures of small and large particle limestone. Small (0 - 1.0 mm) and large (2.0 - 3.8 mm) particles were blended to obtain five…
To determine whether suckling of calves late at night would prolong lactation anoestrus, 51 Hereford-type cows (21 – 29 days postpartum) were divided into three treatment groups. In treatments 1 (night suckling) and 2 (day suckling) cows suckled their calves…
