The largest expense of an intensive ostrich production unit is feed cost (ca.75%). Protein makes up a great portion of feed for monogastric animals and this expense can be lowered by utilizing locally produced feedstuffs such as full-fat canola, although…
Egg quality depends on many conditions, including diet and storage temperature. Consumers usually assess it by checking yolk colour. The aim of the study was to indicate the effects of storage periods (7, 14 and 21 days) and temperature (room…
An on-station feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of Vachellia erioloba (VE) and Dichrostachys cinerea (DC) pod supplementation on intake, doe weight changes and growth of kids. Forty-two indigenous lactating does with average weight of 35 ± 0.5…
Tswana goats that were kept in communal systems in three agro-ecological regions in Botswana were characterized according to phenotypic measurements and genotypic data. Objective measurements for 123 goats included bodyweight (BW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), height at withers…
Prediction equations derived from in situ and in vitro analytical techniques to determine in vivo organic matter digestibility (OMD) are useful tools to estimate the quality of livestock feed. Most derived equations are aimed at groups of feedstuffs (forages or…
The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) diet supplementation on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, serum biochemistry and intestinal microflora of broiler chickens. The study was performed on 180 one-day-old broilers of…
The objective of this research was to evaluate the nutritive value of rapeseed meal (RSM) as a protein source for pigs, and the effect of graded inclusion levels of RSM as a replacement for imported soybean meal (SBM) on growth…
Poultry meat and eggs are the largest source of animal protein in the human diet worldwide. These are the benefits of decades of poultry research investments that were aimed at developing fast-growing strains, a better understanding of nutrient metabolism and…
The fertility of dairy cows affects the genetic improvement and financial sustainability of dairy herds. Fertility is a complex trait that is affected by several factors. Genetically, fertility is difficult to improve because of low heritability. Cows that do not…
The objective is to discern how Charles Darwin’s Origin of species (1859) and the theory of natural selection and evolutionary biology – ‘a grain in the balance will determine which individual shall live and which shall die’– are core to…
Ticks are the most important external parasites of cattle and are known to transmit more pathogens than any other group of arthropods worldwide. About 80% of the world cattle population is at risk of ticks and tick-borne diseases, causing a…
Meat has been an important component of the human diet for centuries as a rich source of essential nutrients required for development, growth and maintenance. In addition to its nutritional value, meat production and processing provide employment and income generation…
Most of the growth of human populations worldwide will be in developing countries, including South Africa. Natural resources are under immense pressure and animal scientists are faced with the challenges for increased efficiency and long-term sustainability of livestock production. Since…
With the congress theme of ‘Golden Innovations for Sustainable Animal Agriculture’, it would be opportune to look not only at innovations with present and future potential, but at those ‘golden innovations’ that have been achieved and established over more than…
Full-fat canola seed (FFCS) is a locally produced alternative protein source that has potential for inclusion in the diet of ostriches. Chicks aged 84 days and weighing 24.7 ± 0.36 kg were fed five iso-nutritional diets with varying levels of…
The response of Windsnyer pigs to diets containing varying levels of potato hash silage in nutritionally related blood biochemistry, carcass traits and primal pork was estimated. Thirty-six growing clinically healthy male Windsnyer pigs with an initial weight of 36 kg…
This study ascertained the influence of liquid passage rates on solid digesta passage rates and the possibilities of simultaneous prediction of solid and liquid passage rates in ruminants. Artificial neural networks were used to develop models of solid and solid-plus-liquid…
The effects of slow-release zinc-urea complexes (ZnU), urea-impregnated zeolite (UZ) and zinc-urea-impregnated zeolite (ZnUZ) on the performance of yearling Bali bulls were assessed using 20 Bali bulls (145.3 ± 2.5 kg bodyweight (BW)), which were allocated to five treatments and…
To evaluate the response of the “male effect” and “temporary weaning” on the synchronization of post-partum ovarian activity in Pelibuey ewes, an experiment was carried out using 78 Pelibuey ewes with suckling lambs. The ewes were separated from their offspring…
A 32-day experiment was conducted to study the effects of supplementation of phytase enzyme, Ronozyme® HiPhos (DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland), on the production parameters, water intake, intestinal histomorphology, carcass characteristics and bone mineralization of broiler chickens. A total of…
