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Context Probiotics are attracting wide attention today as a non-antibiotic feed additive in layer feed, and the number of studies in this field is on the increase. However, the results of the effects of probiotic-yeast supplementation on egg-production indices in laying hens are contradictory. Aim Therefore, the aim of the present study was to use meta-analytical methods to ascertain whether yeast-based diets improve feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), hen-day egg production (HDEP), egg mass (EM), egg weight (EW), Haugh unit (HU) and eggshell thickness (EST) in laying hens. Methods A search of four electronic databases for studies on the impact of yeast supplementation on egg-production indices published in English using a combination of search terms yielded 164 studies. Sixteen research publications with 20 771 laying hens met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Data were pooled via random-effects model and are presented as standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each effect size. Key results HDEP and EM showed a significant increase in the SMD of 11.3% (95% CI: 0.037–0.118, P = 0.003) and 22.5 g egg/hen.day (95% CI: 0.095–0.356, P < 0.001) respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that EST, EM, HDEP and FCR were improved in laying hens that received a yeast-based diet at 5 g/kg feed. The results indicated that trial country was a predictor of FI, FCR, EM, HDEP and EST in layers fed yeast-based rations. Conclusion These results suggest that feeding probiotic-yeast at

There is insufficient information on the role of micronutrient supplementation on the productivity of local breeder cocks in a tropical environment. The target of this research, thus, was to deduce the impact of dietary vitamin A incorporation on semen traits and testosterone concentration of local breeder cocks in a tropical environment. One hundred twenty-eight–matured Nigerian local breeder cocks aged 10–12 months were alloted to 4 groups (n = 32): a control group (A) was fed experimental diet supplemented with vitamin A at 0 IU/kg feed and supplemented groups (B–D) fed commercial poultry diet supplemented with vitamin A at 250, 500 and 750 IU/kg feed for 16 weeks. Every group was replicated 4 times with 16 birds in every a replicate. A quadratic typed optimization function was employed to determine the optimum vitamin A supplementation that statistically improved serum testosterone and semen quality indices in local breeder cocks. Semen profiling and serum testosterone concentration were analysed at week 4 (pre-supplementation period), and thereafter at weeks 4, 8 and 12 (supplementation period). Serum testosterone and semen quality indices at pre-supplementation period were similar (p

The competition for maize and soybean between humans and livestock for food has led to an increase in the cost of livestock feeds. Therefore, this has necessitated the search for alternative non-competitive feedstuffs in order to partially replace maize and soybean in small ruminant diets. The use of cassava products as a partial replacement for maize and soybean in small ruminant diet has been investigated. Cassava is a tropical crop, and its fodder is rich in crude protein (CP), minerals and vitamins with about 85% of the CP fraction exist as true protein. Cassava by-products are also high in nutrients and could contribute significantly to the nutritional needs of sheep and goats. Specifically, cassava leaves are high in CP (25.10%) with an amino acid composition similar to soybean. Evidence also exist that ruminal degradability of cassava fodder is similar to that of maize and soybean with comparable outflow rates (75%). However, the use of cassava fodder in livestock production is limited by the presence of cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin and lotaustralin) that releases hydrogen cyanide (HCN) known to cause pathophysiological changes in the liver of sheep and goats. Importantly, several processing techniques are well known to reduce or eliminate the concentrates of cyanogenic glucosides in cassava with great success. Blood chemistry and production indices of sheep and goats fed differently processed cassava by-product-based diets have been evaluated by different authors. This review revealed that cassava root sievate meal, cassava root meal and cassava peel meal are low in CP (2.29, 3.40 and 7.05%, respectively), while cassava leaf meal is high in CP (32.43%). Feed conversion efficiency of sheep and good fed cassava leaves were 9.49 and 11.24, respectively, indicating that goats utilize cassava leaves better than sheep. It is concluded that cassava by-products are low in quality protein and should be supplemented with other rich protein sources before their use in ruminant diets.

This experiment was performed to determine the nutrient content of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and effect on carcass characteristics, relative internal organ weights, digesta pH, and lengths and weights of the different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of indigenous Boschveld chickens. Six hundred-day-old unsexed Boschveld chicks were divided into six groups of 100 birds with each group replicated five times. Birds were fed broiler starter from 1 to 49 days and grower diet from 50 to 91 days. Each group was allotted to commercial broiler mash diet supplemented with yeast designated 0 g kg−1 feed (T0), 2.5 g kg−1 feed (T1), 5.0 g kg−1 feed (T2), 7.5 g kg−1 feed (T3), 10.0 g kg−1 feed (T4) and 12.5 g kg−1 feed (T5) in a completely randomised design. Proximate composition of yeast was assessed using the standard method. Live weight, carcass characteristics, organ weights, digesta pH and the lengths and weights of the different segments of the digestive tract were measured and analysed statistically. Probiotic-yeast levels for optimal productivity were determined using a quadratic optimisation model. Results revealed that probiotic-yeast is rich in crude protein (496.0 g kg−1), ash (61.60 g kg−1) and moderate in crude fibre (29.0 g kg−1). Birds in groups fed with diets supplemented with yeast at 7.5 and 10.0 g kg−1 feed gave the best (p

The projected human population growth of 9 billion by the year 2050 has placed greater demand on food security. This calls for an increased supply of foods, especially of animal origin in order to prevent food scarcity in the future. Poultry which would have been a solution to this increased demand for foods of animal origin had suffered from the rising costs of conventional feed ingredients, and this emphasizes the interest to develop local feedstuffs. In view of this, there is increased interest by livestock farmers especially in developing countries to harness the potential of leaf and seeds of tropical browse plants. Data abound that leaf and seed meal of tropical plants are rich in beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals. From previous studies, it can be deduced that leaf and seed meal of tropical browse plants improve chicken performance, but their use in animal feed has been limited owing to constraints imposed by antinutrient factors (ANFs). In this review, the biochemistry of leaf and seed meal of tropical plants, mechanism of actions, methodologies for detoxifying their ANFs, and their effect on chicken reproduction is discussed.

This study was conducted to identify the diversity of chicken growth hormone (cGH) single nucleotide polymorphs’ (SNP) and their association on morphometric and growth traits of three Nigerian chicken breeds namely Funaab Alpha (FA), Shikabrown (SB) and Nigerian local chicken (NLC). Morphometric traits measured include shank length (cm), breast girth (cm) and breast width (cm) while growth traits measured were final body weight, av. weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio all at laying stages respectively. Morphometric and growth traits were significantly influenced (P less than 0.05) between the different breeds. The SNP panel showed two base pair substitution mutation (GT and CA) on locus 5 chromosome for the FA and locus 6 chromosome for the SB and NLC respectively. The G – T alignment produced genotypes GG and GT, with TT not observed. Also C – A alignment produced genotypes CC and CA, with AA not observed. The NLC breed had the highest number of haplotypes of 6 while FA and SB had 4 haplotypes each implying that the local breed had more allelic variation than the other two breeds. Also FA had heterozygosity of 0.48 while SB and NLC had a value of 0.44, indicating higher genetic variability of FA breed than the rest with negative theta value (-0.0843) of F-statistics indicating high level of outbreeding. The conducted association of SNP genotypes showed no significant association effects (P>0.05) on the morphometric traits, except for SB breed where CA genotypes was significantly associated with CC for bodyweight, and in NLC breed where CC genotype was also significantly associated with CA genotypes for shank length.

The aim of the study is to use meta-analytical procedure to resolve uncertainty, identify knowledge gaps, and create new insights using published data on the phytobiotic effect of dietary pepper intervention on daily feed intake (DFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in broiler chickens. The authors accessed AGORA, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases for primary studies published between 2011 and 2018 using combinations of different search terms. Fifteen studies were included to assess phytobiotic effect of pepper on DFI, FCR, and ADG in broiler chickens. Random-effects model (REM) was used to generate pooled effect estimates at 95% confidence intervals (CI). Analysis was performed using Open Meta-analyst for Ecology and Evolution (OpenMEE) software, while publication bias and source of heterogeneity were assessed using standard methods. Dietary pepper supplementation enhanced ADG (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.576, 95% CI 0.444 to 0.707, p0.001) and FCR (SMD = 0.325, 95% CI - 0.453 to - 0.196, p0.001) considering the presence of heterogeneity and publication bias. DFI (SMD = 0.052, 95%CI - 0.069 to 0.173, p = 0.403) was not significantly influenced by dietary pepper supplementation. Restricted subgroup analysis revealed that both black and red pepper increased ADG (p0.001). Broilers on black pepper intervention had better FCR (p = 0.002) than broilers on red pepper treatment. Higher (p0.05) DFI was obtained on broilers fed pepper-based diet at the rate of6 g/kg feed for 35 days. There was no association between DFI and explanatory variables (broiler strain used and number of broilers used), whereas study country influenced DFI (p0.001). Furthermore, there was an association between outcome of interests (ADG and FCR) and explanatory variables (supplementation level, study country, number of broilers used per treatment group, and broiler strain used). Broilers on dietary pepper intervention for 42 days had higher ADG (SMD = 62.2 g/bird/day, p0.001) than those on dietary pepper intervention for 56 days (SMD = 35.7 g/bird/day, p = 0.002). There is evidence of heterogeneity, and meta-regression analysis showed that study country, supplementation level, and broiler strain used explained most of the sources of heterogeneity. The results of the present study revealed the potential of dietary pepper intervention to improve production efficiency in broiler chickens. The current meta-analysis also set the steps for standardized experimental designs on the use of dietary pepper intervention in broiler feeding trials in the future.

The responses of growing rabbits to varying levels of ginger rhizome powder (GP) supplementation were investigated. 72 growing rabbits were divided in 4 groups with each group replicated thrice. Rabbits in each group received commercial diet supplemented with GP at a rate of 0 g (T1), 5 g (T2), 10 g (T3) or 15 g/kg feed (T4) in a completely randomized design for 12 weeks. Quadratic regression equation was used to determine GP supplementation for optimum production variables. Results indicated that rabbits on diet T4 gained weight with lesser feed intake (FI), whereas rabbits on diet T2 had the best feed to gain ratio. Rabbits on diets T2 and T3 recorded higher (p less than 0.05) glucose levels compared to those on the other two diets. Higher (p less than 0.05) cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDLP) and low-density lipoprotein (LDLP) were recorded for rabbits on diet T4 compared to those on diet T1. Rabbits on diet T1 had (p less than 0.05) lower potassium level than rabbits on diets T2 and T4. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level was lowest for rabbits on diet T3, which differed (p less than 0.05) significantly from rabbits on the other three diets. The results indicated that GP supplementation at 2.601, 2.826, 2.047, 0.148, 0.774, 0.792, 0.266, 1.363 and 2.443 g/kg feed supported the optimum live weight, FI, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLP, LDLP, potassium and ALP level, respectively in growing rabbits. The above-mentioned findings indicate that GP supplementation on rabbit diets enhanced production variables.

The potential of phytobiotics, also referred phytogenics or botanical to improve animal productivity has been highlighted. However, consensus has not been reached on the use of garlic, one of such phytobiotics to boost productivity of laying hens. The objectives of this meta-analysis were to assess the effectiveness of supplementation with garlic on feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), hen day egg production (HDEP) and egg quality attributes of lay hens. Databases [Scopus, Google scholar, and Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA)] were searched for peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. Criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis were information on moderators (breed, preparation form of garlic, treatment duration, age of hen at the beginning of garlic intervention, country where the study was performed, number of chickens included in the study, inclusion level of garlic), an adequate description of randomization, egg production and egg quality data, and associated measures of variance such as standard deviation (SD), standard error (SE) and P - values. Nineteen (19) out of 53 research papers met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. All analyses were conducted using the Open Meta-analyst for Ecology and Evolution (OpenMEE) software. Overall pooled results revealed that garlic supplementation increased HDEP by 0.322% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.211 to 0.432], egg mass by 0.486 g/day/hen [95% CI = 0.163 to 0.810], egg weight by 0.069 g [95% CI = 0.001 to 0.136], egg shell thickness by 0.259 mm [95% CI = 0.160 to 0.358] and egg shell weight by 0.219 g [95% CI = 0.087 to 0.350] relative to controls, taking cognizance of publication bias and heterogeneity. Chickens fed diets with or without garlic had comparable FCR. Results suggest that there was no evidence of treatment effect on FI and Haugh unit. Subgroup analysis found that studies that used garlic extract had significant egg weight while studies that used garlic powder and oil had similar egg weight. Meta-regression analysis showed that study country, breed, hen’s age, garlic preparation form, inclusion level of garlic, number of hens included in the study and treatment duration were predictors of the study effect. The results of this meta-analysis revealed that layers on dietary garlic supplementation had significantly increased HDEP, egg mass, egg weight, eggshell thickness and eggshell weight compared to controls, although the egg production data for the layers (both treatment and control groups) of specific age, breeds, strain and lines used for the analysis were within their respective target data.

A 49-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of Siam weed leaf meal (SWLM)-based diets on growth, organ, and carcass weight characteristics and economics of production of broilers. Proximate biochemical composition of SWLM and the appropriate inclusion level of SWLM for optimum productivity were also determined. Ninety-six-day-old Chi broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 groups of 24 birds, and each group replicated three times. Each group was assigned to one experimental diet in a completely randomized design marked T1 (0%), T2 (4%), T3 (8%), and T4 (12%). Proximate biochemical results revealed that SWLM is rich in protein (20.52%) and minerals (9.29%). Birds on diets T1 and T2 had similar (p 0.05) final live weights (FLW), which were higher (p 0.05) than those on diets T3 and T4. Birds on diet T2 had the highest (p 0.05) daily feed intake (DFI) and daily weight gain (DWG), while birds on diet T1 had the best feed conversion ratio (FCR) followed by birds on diet T2. The result of quadratic model regression analyses showed that SWLM levels of 1.48, 1.50, 1.47, and 1.56% supported optimum final live weight, DFI, DWG, and FCR. There were no significant (p 0.05) differences in the dressing percentage, but there were significant differences in the carcass weight between birds on diet T4 and the other three diets. Similarly, pancreas and spleen had similar (p 0.05) weights across the treatments. There was significant difference (p 0.05) between birds on diets T1 and T4 in gizzard weight. Cost-benefit ratio was influenced (p 0.05) with T4 birds having better income of US$1 per US$10.18 invested. It is concluded that SWLM is rich in essential nutrients and therefore suitable for inclusion in broiler diets at level not beyond 2% for best final live weight, daily weight gain, and thigh weight.

Performance and meat quality characteristics of broilers fed fermented mixture of grated cassava roots and palm kernel cake (FCP-mix) as a replacement for maize were studied. One hundred and eighty (180), 7-day-old broiler chickens were divided into six groups of 30 birds, and each group replicated thrice. Six experimental diets were formulated for both starter and finisher stages with diets 1 and 6 as controls. Diet 1 contained maize whereas diet 6 contained a 1:1 mixture of cassava root meal (CRM) and palm kernel cake (PKC). In diets 2, 3, 4, and 5, the FCP-mix replaced maize at the rate of 25, 50, 75, and 100%, respectively. Each group was assigned to one experimental diet in a completely randomized design. The proximate compositions of the diets were evaluated. Live weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass weight, and sensory attributes of the meats were obtained from each replicate and data obtained was analyzed statistically. The results showed that live weight, average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and FCR of birds on treatment diets were better than those on the control diets (Diets 1 and 6). The feed cost per kilogram weight gained decreased with inclusion levels of FCP-mix. Birds on diet 1 recorded significantly (p 0.05) higher dressing percentage than those on the other five treatments. The sensory attributes of the chicken meats were not significantly (p 0.05) affected by the inclusion of FCP-mix in the diets. FCP-mix is a suitable substitute for maize in broiler diet at a replacement level of up to 100% for best live weight, carcass weight yield, and meat quality.