"Experientia docet" - Experience is the best teacher
‘n Vergelyking tussen mielie- en sorghumgraan as bronne van kragvoer in afrondingsdiete vir vleisbeeste
A comparison between maize and grain sorghum as a concentrate source in fattening diets for beef cattle. The influence of replacing 0%, 50% and 100% of the maize meal (Pioneer 432) with bird resistant (SSK52) and non-bird resistant (NK 283)…
‘n Evaluasie van sojabone as byvoeding vir die oorwintering van wolskape op suurgrasveld
An evaluation of soy-beans as a supplement for the wintering of woolled sheep on sour veld. The value of soy-beans as a supplement for woolled sheep on winter veld was investigated in the south-eastern Transvaal Highveld. Döhne merino ewes were…
The use of trichloroacetic acid as precipitant for the determination of ‘true protein’ in animal feeds (Short Communications)
The suitability of trichloroacetic acid as a protein precipitant for the determination of 'true protein' in feed samples was investigated. The TCA method compared well with the cupric hydroxide method recommended by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.
Die doeltreffendheid van vroeë seleksie van Merinoramme op grond van ‘n seleksie-indeks (Kort mededeling)
Efficiency or early selection or Merino rams on a selection index. Production traits of 196 unselected young Merino rams were measured at two consecutive shearings with six months' wool growth, at the age of 12 and 18 months. The correlation…
Performance and egg quality of aged laying hens fed diets supplemented with meat and bone meal or oyster shell meal
Meat and bone meal (MBM) and oyster shell meal (OSM) were supplemented to a basal diet (LMS), either alone or in combination, in order to assess the dietary influences of those complementary Ca sources on performance and egg quality of…
Animal factors affecting fatty acid composition of cow milk fat: A review
The review summarizes literature dealing with the effects of animal factors (breed, cow individuality, parity and stage of lactation) on fatty acid (FA) composition of milk fat. Genetic parameters affecting the composition of the FAs in milk are reviewed and…
Pedigree analysis of an ostrich breeding flock
Pedigree records, maintained from 1978 to 2005 at the Oudtshoorn Research Farm, South Africa, of 40 074 birds of a pair-breeding ostrich flock were used to estimate the effective number of founders (fe), the effective number of ancestors (fa), the…
Foster parenting, human imprinting and conventional handling affects survival and early weight of ostrich chicks
The effects of human imprinting and foster parenting by adult ostriches on the survival and growth performance of ostrich chicks were compared to conventional chick-rearing practices in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, the growth rate and survival of…
Effects of a novel carbohydrate fraction on broiler performance and intestinal function
This study was performed to determine the effects of a natural yeast-based feed ingredient (natural carbohydrate fraction (NCF) isolated from a specific strain of yeast) on broiler chickens, and to examine its mode of action. The trial was set up…
Effect of in ovo injection with L-arginine on productive and physiological traits of Japanese quail
This study evaluated the influence of administering different levels of L-arginine into eggs of 0-day-old Japanese quail embryos. On day 0 of incubation, 480 eggs (120 for each treatment group) were injected with 0% arginine (C group), 1% arginine (T1),…
Genetic analysis of body weight in South African Angora kids and young goats
The data used for this study consisted of 27 485 kid records, the progeny of 599 sires and 10 077 dams, and were collected on the 2000- to 2009-born kids of 11 Angora goat studs. Variance and covariance components and…
Effect of forage sources and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc 47) on ruminal fermentation parameters (Short communication)
Diet composition has been suggested as a factor that influences the variability of responses when Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) is fed to ruminant animals. Diets based on lucerne hay (462 g/kg DM) and maize silage (488 g/kg DM) were fed to…
Withdrawal or reduction of the dietary vitamin premix on bone parameters of broiler chickens in two rearing systems
This study was conducted to compare the withdrawal or reduction of the vitamin premix (VP) from broiler diets at between days 29 and 42 of age on the characteristics of leg bones of the broilers in a battery cage (Trial…
Effects of different penning conditions, feeding regimens and season on growth and carcass attributes of boars of a selected gen
The study tested the performance of intact male pigs from a selected genetic line subjected to differing feeding regimens and penning conditions. The trial was a 2 x 3 x 2 x 3 factorial design, consisting of winter and summer…
Improved production efficiency in cattle to reduce their carbon footprint for beef production
The FAO publication, Livestock’s Long Shadow, indicated that livestock is responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas production thereby creating the perception that livestock is a major cause of global warming. Methane (CH4) makes up 16% of total world…
Selenium concentration of maize grain in South Africa and possible factors influencing the concentration
A total of 896 maize grain samples were obtained from all the maize silos throughout South Africa (231 silos) and analysed for selenium (Se) content. This information was used to compile a regional distribution map of the Se content of…
Environmental factors influencing milk urea nitrogen in South African Holstein cattle
By knowing the milk urea nitrogen (MUN) content of dairy cows, the efficiency of dietary nitrogen utilization can be improved. The main objectives of this study were to identify and quantify environmental factors affecting MUN in South African Holstein cows…
The effects of an active live yeast product on the growth performance of finishing lambs
A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a rumen-specific, active live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae; SC CNCM I-1077), alone or in combination with an ionophore (lasalocid-Na) in standard feedlot diets, on production performance and carcass quality of lambs. Sixty…
Effect of water treatment of sorghum on the performance of broiler chicks (Short communication)
The present study was conducted to observe the efficacy of water treatment on sorghum grain and to determine its optimum inclusion in broiler diets. Sorghum grain was treated with water and dried. Seven isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets were prepared, using…
