UTILIZATION OF MEXICAN SUNFLOWER LEAF MEAL-BASED DIETS BY PRE WEANED WEST AFRICAN DWARF LAMBS
Undernourishment in sheep has been reported to manifest among lambs in form of reduced birthweight, retarded growth rate and increased mortality (Ogunwole, 2004; Adu and Olaloku, 1979). Oyedipe (1981) further explained that nutrition of growing ruminants is one of the single most important factor influencing growth, onset of puberty, litter size and survival rates of the young ones. A departure from the growth of lambs is likely to set in as from the third week of life when the milk yield of ewe starts to decline (Adu, 1975). It is clear from the research findings that early weaned lambs cannot survive on pasture alone. In view of this, the provision of creep feeding would be necessary as soon as the lambs are able to nibble on solid foods. Such provision should be palatable, nutritionally adequate, low in fibre and highly digestible. In addition to the enhanced growth of lambs, creep feeding encourages rumen development, a condition that increases the subsistence of the lambs on solid foods (Adu, 1975). Wheat bran (WB) in Nigeria about 15 – 20 years ago had little or no value but presently, due to high cost of conventional energy sources, population explosion and poor protein intake in the country, WB in Nigeria presently is a major source of energy for ruminants. In order to reduce the high cost of production of beef, milk and other products, there is need for replacement of some percentages of WB with Mexican sunflower leaf meal (MSLM). Mexican sunflower (MS) is readily available in Nigeria, although, it has a long history of existence but it has always been considered as a weed and often time, it’s left to rot on the farm after weeding and sometime burnt. Apart from the environmental pollution associated with burning, it also contributes ISSN 1330-7142 UDK = 636.084.1:636.38
Evaluation of Mexican sunflower (Helianthus annus l) leaf meal as a feed ingredient in shaver brown pullets.
Abstract The use of alternative nutritional sources is an important topic for animal production such as poultry. This study examined the effect of replacing soybean meal with sunflower leaf meal in the diet of laying shaver brown pullets. A total of 30 laying birds were assigned to three treatments of 0% (as control group), 10% and 15% MSFLM inclusion. Four eggs per replicate were randomly taken for three consecutive days at two weeks interval for five times, and 18 weeks individuals were selected after 40 days of experimental time. External parameters of the eggs (egg weight, egg length, egg breadth and egg shape index, shell thickness), and body parameters (Final body weight, weight gain), feed intake and hen day production were measured. For egg length, egg breadth and shell thickness showed significant difference (p< 0.05) in from the control birds. Final body weight, weight gain, feed intake and hen day production showed comparable results with values from eggs of birds on control diet. The study revealed the ability of birds to easily utilize the nutrients in the protein sources. MSFLM utilization up to 15% in pullets’ diet revealed no detrimental effect on the performance of the laying birds and the external qualities of eggs produced.
Livestock Aspects of Feed Grain Policy
It is a signal event that our topic should be included on this program. In recent years, the livestock and poultry economy has scarcely been considered in the making of price and income policy for feed grains. It has been disregarded by pragmatic policy makers. It has been almost equally bypassed by theoretical economists, who usually kibitz freely. Policy for support and target prices for corn, grain sorghums, and other feed grains has been made with an eye almost exclusively fixed on the producers of those crops. The target price has been set relatively high in order to protect crop farmers' income. The latest (and current) loan rate policy has been to hold the rate low. Although a low rate facilitates moving grain into livestock and poultry consumption when crops are abundant, it does nothing to provide buffer stocks for years when crops are short. In addition, a couple of years ago it became administrative policy to dispose of the stocks inherited from an earlier period, even subsidizing their sale abroad. But the foremost example of one-sidedness is the attitude toward release prices. In all the rhetoric heard recently about the peril of holding corn or sorghums in reserve, the scold has been that release prices would not be set high enough. What group can the spokesmen have had in mind? Feed producers, of course! Not feed consumers, that is, livestock and poultry men. It has been a one-sided consideration of a two-sided issue. If all groups are to have equal voice in policy making, how can livestock and poultry interests be so ostracized? The one-sidedness has more impact now that so much livestock and poultry production has become detached from feed supply on individual farms. The livestock-poultry economy is therefore more sensitive to the availability and price of feed. It is in fact a contradiction that historically, livestock and poultry got more attention when they were still closely connected with feed production on the farm. In the early years of farm programs, the "ever-normal granary" was consciously designed to level out the supply and price of feed for livestock and poultry. Now that livestock and poultry have become more commercial and more vulnerable to a volatile feed situation, feed price stabilization has been progressively removed from the councils of farm policy. And the ultimate contradiction is that the alleged price-depressing perils of a feed reserve have been proclaimed in disregard of the fact that the main defense of feed grain producers' incomes is the target price-direct payment mechanism, not support prices. If grains on reserve should cause market prices to be reduced below target level, producers would get bigger direct payments, that is, producers with a base on their farm are protected in that way. Admittedly, production outside such a base would not be eligible for payment.