ANIMAL SCIENCE

This study investigated the growth performance of weaner pigs fed diets in which yellow maize was partially replaced with a novel feed ingredient, designated 75% MUSARPOMS Grade, at inclusion levels of 0%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%. MUSARPOMS is an unconventional feed resource composed of 75% ground dried ripe plantain peels and 25% palm oil mill slurry. The ten-week feeding trial, including a two-week adaptation period on the control diet, aimed to evaluate the potential of this feed as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative for swine production by utilizing locally available agro-industrial by- products. A total of twenty-five weaner pigs, with initial body weights ranging from 13.30 to 14.40 kg, were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments, with each treatment replicated five times in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Pigs were offered the experimental diets and water ad libitum throughout the study. Initial body weights were statistically similar across treatments, confirming uniformity of experimental animals at the onset of the trial. While final body weights and overall feed intake were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments, parameters such as total weight gain, average weekly weight gain, average daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and feed efficiency demonstrated significant responses to maize replacement levels. The highest growth performance and feed utilization efficiency were observed in pigs receiving the control diet. Among the MUSARPOMS-based diets, the 50% maize replacement level yielded growth and feed efficiency values most comparable to the control, whereas higher inclusion levels (60%) resulted in reduced performance and poorer feed utilization. These findings indicate that 75% MUSARPOMS Grade can replace up to 50% of maize in weaner pig diets without substantially compromising growth, offering a viable, cost-reducing

The rising cost of feed additives has made livestock production increasingly expensive, especially for small ruminants. This has created the need to explore cheaper alternative feed sources that can still support efficient growth and nutrient utilization. Chitin and chitosan, obtained from snail shell waste, are potential feed additives known to enhance nutrient digestion and nitrogen use in animals. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diets containing chitin and chitosan on nitrogen balance and retention in goats. A total of twelve (12) goats were randomly assigned to six different dietary treatments.The trial lasted 15 days, with an 8-day digestibility and nitrogen balance trial using metabolic cages. Data on feed intake, fecal and urinary nitrogen excretion, and nitrogen balance were collected and analyzed statistically. The results showed that goats fed diets chitosan retained more nitrogen compared to those on the control diet. There were no adverse effects on dry matter intake. The study concludes that chitosan derived from snail shell can serve as useful feed additives at 0.5% inclusion level for improving nitrogen utilization in goats.

The increasing global demand for plant-based dairy alternatives has stimulated
research into non-dairy cheese analogues derived from underutilized crops. This
study evaluated the chemical composition and sensory characteristics of mozzarella and cheddar-type cheeses produced from tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) milk using three coagulants: vinegar, lemon extract, and tamarind extract. A 3x 2 factorial design resulting in six (6) treatment combinations was adopted. The treatments included mozzarella and cheddar cheeses coagulated with vinegar, lemon, and tamarind extract respectively. Proximate composition, mineral composition, pH, and sensory properties were determined using standard analytical procedures. The pH values ranged from 4.870 to 5.985, with cheddar cheeses generally exhibiting higher pH values than mozzarella cheeses. Moisture content ranged from 73.10% to 77.53%, while crude protein varied from 1.875% to 2.450%. Ether extract ranged from 3.395% to 4.165%, and ash content ranged from 0.465% to 1.105%. Mineral analysis revealed calcium values between 231.5 and 311.3 mg/kg, magnesium values between 115.5 and 244.2 mg/kg, and phosphorus values between 556.1 and 1254.9 mg/kg. Sensory evaluation showed that
mozzarella cheese coagulated with tamarind extract recorded the highest overall
acceptability score (3.722), while cheddar cheese coagulated with lemon extract
recorded the lowest score (2.944). The findings demonstrated that tiger nut milk can be successfully utilized in the production of acceptable vegan cheese analogues with desirable nutritional and sensory qualities. Tamarind extract proved to be the most effective coagulant in improving both nutritional composition and consumer acceptability.

The levels of serum biochemical indices have a direct association with the status and performance of animals at every given stage of its life. The current study was carried out in the University of teaching and research farm, Benin City to evaluate the relationship between some breed of rabbit, some biochemical parameters and weight of kits. The experimental animals were Dutch and Zealand white rabbits. The design used for the experiment was Completely Randomized Design. Biochemical parameters measured where body weight of kits ALP, ALT and AST levels. The data collected were subjected to one way statistical analysis of variance. The results showed that ALP, ALT and AST levels were significantly affected (P<0.05) by breeds of rabbits. Dutch does had higher values for ALP (20U/L), ALT (17U/L) and AST (12.5U/L) compared to NewZealand does which recorded lowest for ALP (15U/L), ALT (5U/L) and AST (6U/L). All measured biochemical parameters of Dutch and NewZealand does had no significant effect (P>0.05) on body weight of kits. Body weight of NewZealand kits were numerically but not statistically higher than Dutch kits. The results showed that NewZealand kits recorded highest for body weight at week 6 (551.67), week 7 (576.67), week 8 (604.00), week 9 (631.67) and week 10 (641.67) compared to Dutch kits which recorded lowest for body weight at 6th (506.67), 7th 548.00), 8th (575.00), 9th (595.83 + 30.25) and 10th week (635.33) respectively. It was obtain from this study that the breed of an animal can significantly affect the levels of some biochemical parameters such as ALP, ALT and AST. Recommended as a result of this study is that NewZealand rabbits should be the genotype of choice for broiler rabbit production and the nee for more needed attention to be paid to the biochemical indices in animals

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major public health issue affecting both people and animals. In Nigeria, the increasing interest in rabbit farming has led to frequent antibiotic use, sometimes without proper veterinary guidance, raising concerns about resistant bacteria. This study aimed to identify the bacterial species present in the feces of rabbits reared at the University of Benin, Research Farm and to evaluate how these bacteria respond to commonly used antibiotics. Fifteen fecal samples were collected from rabbits and analyzed using standard microbiological techniques. The bacteria were isolated, identified, and tested for antibiotic susceptibility using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. The antibiotics examined included amoxicillin, erythromycin, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and apramycin. The bacterial isolates obtained were Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., and Micrococcus sp. Most isolates showed high sensitivity to erythromycin (74.1%), streptomycin (51.9%), and ciprofloxacin (33.3%), while moderate resistance (22.2%) was observed against apramycin. E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus exhibited the greatest resistance levels. Although the overall resistance rate was relatively low, the presence of resistant strains highlights the need for responsible antibiotic use, better hygiene, and regular monitoring of resistance trends to prevent possible health risks to both animals and humans.

Cheese is a dairy product made from pressed milk curds produced mainly from animal milk throughout the world where animal production is available. It is a nutritious food and one of the numerous products from the processing of milk of cows, goats, sheep, buffalos, camels and yaks. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein known as casein. Cheese is an important milk product with milk nutrients having good storage properties with increased shelf life. This study investigated the potential of using different coagulants - vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, and unripe papaya pulp in the production of goat milk cheese. The proximate composition, mineral content, and sensory attributes of Mozzarella and Cream Cheese produced with these coagulants were analyzed and studied in the laboratory. The proximate composition analysis revealed significant differences in the moisture content (MC), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) among the different treatments for both Mozzarella and cream cheese. Unripe papaya pulp consistently exhibited the highest values for CP and CF in both types of cheese having values 19.34 and 22.99 for Mozzarella cheese and Cream cheese respectively. This could be attributed to the coagulation process and the properties of the coagulants used. The mineral analysis showed significant variations in the calcium, phosphorus, and zinc content of the cheeses while lemon juice coagulant had the highest phosphorus content, the Zinc content varied among the treatments, with also lemon juice coagulant showing the highest values of 0.6467 and 0.6033 for Mozzarella and Cream cheese respectively. These differences are due to the varying mineral compositions of the coagulants used. The sensory analysis revealed differences in the appearance, smell, taste, texture, and overall acceptability of the cheeses. The discussion highlights the substantial impact of coagulant choice on cheese quality, integrating these findings with existing literature. Unripe papaya pulp emerged as a particularly promising coagulant, producing nutrient-dense cheese that meets both nutritional and sensory standards.