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One hundred and eighty 26-week old white leghorn layers were used to evaluate the effect of replacing maize with kocho on egg production, egg and chick quality as well as fertility and hatchability. The layers were fed with ration containing kocho at the levels of 0% (T1), 33% (T2), 67% (T3) and 100% (T4) replacing white maize grain in the ration. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four treatments, each replicated three times with 15 birds each. The experiment lasted 12 weeks. Hens were weighed at the start and end of the experiment. Data on dry matter intake, hen day egg production (HDEP), egg weight and egg mass were recorded daily. Egg quality parameters (egg shell weight and thickness, albumen weight and height, Haugh unit and yolk weight as well as color) were determined at the interval of 7 days on 4 eggs per replicate. Kocho contained 3663 kcal/kg DM, 3.8% CP, 2.5% ether extract, 2.3% crude fiber and 1.5μg/100g beta-carotene. Highly significant (P0.05) among treatments. HDEP for T3 (53.83 %) and T4 (53.62%) was similar and significantly (P < 0.05) higher than T1 (40.54%) and T2 (43.19%). Egg quality characteristics, except yolk color were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. Yolk color was higher (P < 0.05) for T1 compared with T3 and T4. Percent hatchability on fertile egg bases for T4 was significantly (P 0.05) among treatments. The partial budget analysis indicated that replacement of maize with 67% (T3) kocho gave a higher net return. Therefore, kocho can replace maize in layers ration when there is scarcity of maize in enset growing areas of Ethiopia., East African Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13 No. 1 (2019): East African Journal of Sciences

Due to increasing price of conventional feeds, alternative locally available non-conventional feed ingredient is required for layers’ production. Rumen contents are abundantly available as slaughterhouse by-product and mainly considered as waste material creating environmental pollution. Therefore, a study was conducted for 90 days to evaluate effects of sun-dried rumen content (SDRC) inclusion in layer rations on egg laying performance, egg quality parameters, fertility, and hatchability, chick quality and blood parameters. Treatment diets contained T1, T2, T3, and T4 at 0, 5, 10, and 15 percent SDRC, respectively. On chemical analysis, the rumen content contained 11.18% crude protein, 1.22% ether extract, 22.99% crude fibre, 21.54% ash and 1099.32 cal/kg of DM of metabolizable energy. The daily DM intake value increased (P < 0.05) with the increase in level of rumen content. The bird fed with 10 percent SDRC diet had a high DM intake. The weight gain and egg production of the laying hens reduced significantly (P < 0.05) as the level of rumen content increased. The average egg weight increased significantly (P < 0.05) with the increase in the level of rumen content. The feed to gain ratio increased as the level of rumen content increased in the diet. The hen fed T2 (5 percent SDRC) had the best feed to gain ratio. Most external and internal egg quality parameters, especially yolk color, were improved when the diet contained sun-dried rumen content (SDRC). Fertility, hatchability, early and mid embryonic mortality showed no significant differences among treatments. However, chick quality parameters increased (P < 0.05) with the increase in the level of rumen content. Mortality rate was not influenced by treatments. All blood parameters studied were within the normal range. It is concluded that under the condition of this experiment, diets up to 10% SDRC in the ration did not affect DMI, daily weight gain, egg production performances and blood parameters in white leghorn layers.  Keywords: White leghorns; SDRC; Egg mass; Egg quality; Fertility; Hatchability, East African Journal of Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 1 (2016): East African Journal of Sciences

Sheep is an important animal kept as livestock in Ethiopia. However, productivity of the animal is constrained by scarcity of feed. Therefore, an experiment was carried out using twenty-four yearling male Black Head Ogaden sheep with an initial body weight of 12.95 ± 1.79 kg (mean ± SD) to evaluate the effect of different levels of soybean meal supplementation to natural pasture hay on feed intake, digestibility, average daily body weight gain, and carcass characteristics. The experimental sheep were blocked into six blocks of four animals based on initial body weight and randomly assigned to one of the four treatments. Treatments were ad libitum feeding of natural pasture hay and + 50 g/day wheat bran (T1) supplemented with 125 g/day soybean meal (T2), 250 g/day soybean meal (T3), 375 g/day soybean meal (T4). The experiment consisted of 90 days of feeding and 7 days of digestibility trials followed by evaluation of carcass. Supplementation of SBM increased dry matter and crude protein digestibility but neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibilities decreased with increasing levels of SBM supplementation. Average daily body weight gain and hot carcass was significantly increased as soybean supplementation increased. Dressing percentages both on pre-slaughter (37.3, 44.6, 46.4 and 48.6% (SEM = 0.94) and empty body weight (48.4, 51.9, 54.2 and 59.7% (SEM = 0.94)) basis for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively were highest for T4, intermediate for T3, and T2, and the lowest for T1. It could be concluded that feeding the Black Head Ogaden sheep on natural pasture hay supplemented with 375 g/day soybean meal resulted in superior biological as well as economic productivity.  Keywords: Body Weight Change; Digestibility Dressing Percentage; [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Â, East African Journal of Sciences, Vol. 8 No. 2 (2014): East African Journal of Sciences Volume (8) N0 2