Relatively rapid and cost-effective genotyping using the OvineSNP50 chip holds great promise for the South African sheep industry and research partners. However, SNP ascertainment bias may influence inferences from the genotyping results of South African sheep breeds. Therefore, samples from…
Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of a blend of oregano essential oil (OEO) (as a source of natural antibacterial growth-promoting substances) and attapulgite (as a source of toxin-binder and as an antidiarrhoeal agent) on growth performance, intestinal…
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various feeding and housing systems on fattening performance, slaughter value and biochemical serum parameters in growing-finishing pigs. The experimental material comprised 90 growing-finishing pigs, divided into six groups of…
Twenty-six-week-old laying hens (90 Lohmann Classic Brown) received dietary treatments containing canola and linseed oil at 2% inclusion levels and a control diet for 21 days. The 2% dietary linseed oil, which had higher total polyunsaturated fatty acids (ΣPUFA) and…
In sheep populations with small effective population sizes (Ne), inbreeding is a major concern because genetic variation has to be maintained. A panel of 28 microsatellite markers was used to measure the inbreeding level in three separate Merino flocks bred…
The study investigated the effects of varying dietary calcium (Ca) levels and sources of oil on performance of broiler chickens. A total of 378 one-day-old birds were fed 6% palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SO) or linseed oil (LO) in…
A study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary inclusion of discarded cabbage (DC) on the intake and growth performance of lambs. Diets containing 0 (control, DC0), 100 g DC/kg (DC100), 150 g DC/kg (DC150) and 200 g DC/kg…
During a broiler breeder trial with 3200 Cobb 500 hens, the effects of lighting treatment after 20 weeks’ feed allocation and of feed form on the length of time taken to consume the daily allocation of feed were measured. Pullets…
Wet distillers grains with soluble (WDGS) were blended with whole maize plants on an as-fed basis at 0%, 20%, 30%, and 40% and ensiled in 3 L bottles to evaluate the silage fermentation characteristics and ensiling quality in a complete…
The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of diets supplemented with glucose oxidase (GOD) on growth performance, serum parameters and faecal microflora of piglets. One hundred and twelve piglets (35 days old) were randomly assigned to two groups (four…
This study aims at examining the expression of genes on the mammary gland, corresponding to various levels of adaptation or acclimatization to environmental stress. The authors utilized 18 cows from three genetic groups, Holstein Brazil (HB), Gyr (GG) and Gyrolando…
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of ovary transportation in a semi-complex medium containing HEPES at different temperatures on the developmental competence and the quality of in vitro-produced embryos. The cattle ovaries were transported in normal saline (NS),…
It was hypothesized that maize steep liquor, which is high in crude protein, could replace soybean meal in supplementation strategies in lamb production systems. Therefore, the effects of replacing soybean meal with maize steep liquor at 0%, 33%, 66% and…
This study investigated the effects of replacing rapid-release nitrogen (N) from urea with a graded level of slow-release N (Optigen® II) source on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis, when sheep were fed a poor-quality roughage diet. Five…
Infestation with gastrointestinal nematodes is probably among the most pervasive problems in small-stock production worldwide. Faecal worm egg count (FWEC) has been reported as an indirect measure of parasite resistance in livestock production. Environmental and genetic factors of FWEC were…
The objectives of the present study were to determine the organic matter digestibility (OMD), metabolizable energy (ME), antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations of stems and seeds of Juncus acutus. Stem and seed samples were collected from Hamsiloz…
The effects of organic acid, probiotic and a combination of the two on performance and gut morphology in broiler chickens were investigated. Two hundred and forty one-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with six…
The identification of genetic polymorphisms in the genes that play a crucial role in regulatiing growth and development of livestock enables us to evaluate the biological similarities and to acquire a better perspective of quantitative traits. The present study was…
Members of the Federation of Boxer Clubs in Southern Africa (FBCSA) have participated in official recording for many years. The aim of the study was to estimate genetic parameters and trends for pre-weaning survival and to assess inbreeding in the…
Wasted cladodes from the cactus pear (Opuntia ficus spp.) are an environmental nuisance, and alternative measures are required to utilize this product, such as utilizing it as a ruminant feedstuff. By simulating ruminal fermentation through in vitro gas production, the…
