Animal Research International

1163 – 1168

Authors: OKPE, Godwin Chidozie, NWATU, Ugochukwu and ANYA, Kenneth

Data from 10 adult male Nigerian local breed of chicken were used to investigate the morphometry of the testis. The mean live weight of the birds as well as testes weights were obtained, and testes samples subjected to histological preparations for light microscopy. The mean live weight of the birds and testes weights were 977g and 6.3g respectively, with a gonadosomatic index of 1.1%. The dimensions of the testes were 5.30cm and 2.70cm for the length and width respectively. The volume densities were 96.6% and 3.4% for the seminiferous tubules and intertubular compartments respectively, out of which Leydig cells occupied 1.4%. The seminiferous tubular diameter was 158.40 µm while tubular lengths per testis and per gram of testis were 308 and 49 meters respectively. The number of Leydig cells per testis and per gram of testis were 2.1 billion and 340 million respectively while the number of sertoli cells per testis and per gram of testis were 2 billion and 300 million respectively. These data obtained, tend to suggest that the Nigerian local breed of chicken has high spermatogenic efficiency.

1176 – 1183

Authors: AKA, Lawrence Okonkwo

The effect of in vitro bioactive yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strain 1026) treatment on the degradability of dry mater fraction of some crop residues using the in-sacco degradability technique in West African Dwarf sheep was studied. Sixteen (16) adult rumen fistulated WAD sheep of average body weight of 16.84 ± 3.43 kg were used. Degradability of crop residues; rice straw, groundnut foliage, pigeon pea foliage and maize stover was studied. The results showed a significant (p<0.05) treatment effect. Time (length of yeast treatment) effect was positive for 2-6 day yeast treated groundnut foliage and pigeon pea foliage and for 8-10 day treatments for rice straw and maize stover. There was a negative correlation coefficient (r = -0.76) between degradability and length of yeast treatment for 8 and 10 day treated groundnut and pigeon pea foliages. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.69) between length of treatment and percentage degradation for all crop residues at 2, 4 and 6 day treatments. At 48hours incubation, the degradability of pigeon pea (96.41 ± 3.89 %) and groundnut foliages (93.17 ± 3.10 %) foliages were significantly (p<0.05) higher than rice straw (55.54 ± 7.11%) and maize stover (61.08 ± 6.42 %) particularly at 4 and 6 days yeast treatment periods compared with the control. On the other hand, the rumen degradability of 8 and10 day yeast treated rice straw (81.72 ± 5.91 % and 94.20 ± 2.81 % respectively) and maize stover (89.93 ± 4.16 % and 95.61 ± 4.22 % respectively) were significantly (p<0.05) higher than the control (49.06 ± 4.11 % for rice straw and 43.18 ± 4.78 % for maize stover) at 72 hours but not 48hours during which groundnut and pigeon pea foliages were optimally degraded following 4 and 6 day yeast treatments. It was evident from this study that length of in vitro yeast treatment, period of rumen incubation and type of crop residues had remarkable effects on rumen degradability of dry matter fraction. Thus, treating crop residues for appropriate periods, in vitro, with yeast cultures could provide opportunity for enhancing the fermentative potential and utilization efficiency of crop residues in ruminants generally but particularly in West African Dwarf sheep.

1194 – 1198

Authors: KAMALU, Theodore Nkire, OKPE, Godwin Chidozie and WILLIAMS, Arustus

Camels and cattle grazed in the native pasture of the Sahel savanna and presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri Municipal Abattoir were used to evaluate differences in forage selection, rumen content characteristics and forage organic matter digestibility. After evisceration, rumen contents were obtained and separated into solid digesta and twigs. The rumen fluid was examined for colour, pH and specific gravity. The faecal index method was used to determine the organic matter digestibility of the herbage eaten. The investigation showed that the camel rumen content was twiggy and greenish in colour, while that of cattle was mushy and brownish in colour. Camel rumen solid digesta contained leaves and twigs in contrast to cattle digesta which had grass remnants. Mean rumen pH values were 6.98 ± 0.03 and 7.14 ± 0.04 for camel and cattle respectively. Mean specific gravity values were 1.016 ± 0.005 and 1.005 ± 0.001 for camel and cattle respectively. Forage organic matter digestibility was significantly higher in camels than in cattle (P < 0.05).

1206 – 1211

Authors: EZE, Chikwuma Simon

The effect of four host plants, Manihot esculenta, Cassia alata, Glyphaea brevis and Azadirachta indica on the survival, development and fecundity of the variegated grasshopper (Zonocerus variegatus) was investigated. One thousand eight hundred second instar nymphs were collected from abandoned farmlands, caged and fed with the leaves of different host plants mentioned above. Cassava leaves (M. esculenta) gave the best survival and fecundity rates followed though distantly by C. alata while G. brevis and A. indica gave very poor survival rates. The survival rate was generally poor at the early nymphal stages of the insects on all the host plants. With respect to fecundity, the insects reared on M. esculenta produced the greatest number of egg-pods and consequently eggs; whereas those reared on A. indica failed to produce any egg-pod.

1218 – 1222

Authors: IGWEBUIKE, Udensi Maduabuchi

The study reports that placental haematomas and erythrophagocytosis by trophoblast cells were observed in the placentomes of five abattoir samples of gravid uteri taken from West African Dwarf goats, as well as in the gravid uteri harvested from five pregnant West African Dwarf goats on days 50, 65, 80, 100 and 120 of gestation. The foetal ages of the abattoir samples as determined by measuring the foetal crown-rump lengths were 56, 62, 75, 76, and 91 days. Placental haematomas and erythrophagocytosis by trophoblast cells may be important structural modifications for transplacental transfer of iron, a trace element necessary for foetal erythropoiesis, especially in ruminant species characterized by non-invasive, synepitheliochorial placenta.

1226 – 1228

Authors: BIU, A. A. and UMORU, A.

The prevalence of Capillaria species among locally domesticated pigeons (Columba livia) was investigated in Maiduguri. Intestinal contents from one hundred pigeons examined for capillariid nematodes and ova revealed a prevalence of 9.0%. Two species of Capillaria were identified as Capillaria obsignata with 77.8% prevalence and Capillaria caudinflata with 22.2% (p < 0.05). Among the pigeons examined the young ones were significantly (p < 0.05) more infected 6(15.0%) than the adults with 3(5.0%), while the difference in infection rates between male and female pigeons was insignificant (p > 0.05). Capillaria caudinflata presented a larger egg size of 56.0µm x 23.0µm while C. obsignata had the smaller size of 50.5µm x 24.0µm and the shell had a reticulate pattern compared to C. caudinflata with a thick finely sculptured shell. This study provides information on the prevalence of Capillaria species of pigeon in Maiduguri, Nigeria.