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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of dietary Cation-Anion balance on growth performance of broiler chicken
    (Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2005) Mary Juliet Francis; KAU; Viswanathan, T V
    An investigation over a period of six weeks was carried out to study the effect of dietary cation-anion balance on growth performance of broiler chicken. One hundred and sixty commercial day-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments viz., Tl, T2, T3 and 14 having four replicates each. The experimental diets were standard broiler ration with varying DCAB of 260 meq/kg (Tl, control), 210 meq/kg (T2), 310 meq/kg (T3) and 360 meq/kg (T4). Cation-anion balance was varied using sodium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride. Results indicated that the dietary treatments did not differ significantly in body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed intake, water consumption and processing yields. Body weight at the end of six weeks was 2069, 2031, 2047 and 2020 g and the cumulative mean body weight gain was 2023, 1984, 2000 and 1973 g for Tl, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Average daily feed intake was 159.39, 164.46, 166.65 atid 169.81 g and mean cumulative PGR were 2.04, 2.02, 2.04 and 2.09, respectively, for Tl, T2, T3 and T4. No significant difference was observed in serum minerals or biochemical parameters such as serum uric acid, cholesterol and glucose. Birds in T3 and T4 showed significantly higher (P<0.05) intake and balance of sodium than Tl and T2. Retention of chloride was significantly higher (P<0.05) for T3 and T4 whereas chloride intake was significantly lower (P<0.05) for T3 and T4. Overall evaluation of the results of the present study reveals that dietary cation-anion balance does not have a significant influence on growth performance of broiler chicken.
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Growth performance of broiler chicken fed on fermented fish waste silage ration
    (Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2005) Smitha, N F; KAU; Mercy, A D
    An investigation spread over a period of six weeks was carried out to study the effect of replacing unsalted dried fish with fermented fish waste silage on nutrient utilization and growth performance in broiler chicken. One hundred and eighty day-old broiler chicks (Vencob) were divided into three identical groups having five replicates in each group with 12 birds in each replicate and allotted randomly into three dietary treatments viz., T1, T2 and T3. The three groups of birds were maintained on isonitrogenous and isocaloric rations in which protein of unsalted dried fish was replaced by protein from fermented fish waste silage at 0, 50 and 100 per cent levels. Birds were fed broiler starter rations up to four weeks of age and then they were switched to broiler finisher rations till the end of the experiment. The birds maintained on the three dietary treatments T1, T2 and T3 had almost similar growth rate (P>0.05) with a cumulative mean body weight gain of 1401.45, 1434.48 and 1491.31 g, respectively. The cumulative feed intake and cumulative feed conversion efficiency did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between treatments, the cumulative feed conversion efficiency being 2.12, 2.08 and 2.09, respectively for the birds of T1, T2 and T3. Nitrogen retention and balance were similar for the diets T1, T2 and T3. The retention and balance of calcium and phosphorus were also similar. Serum calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol, glucose, creatinine and uric acid contents were not significantly influenced by the inclusion of fermented fish waste silage. Serum triglyceride was significantly reduced (P<0.05) in T2 and T3 when compared to that of T1. Birds maintained on T3 registered significantly lower (P<0.05) ready-to-cook yield when compared to T1 fed on control diet. The cost of feed per kg gain of birds in the three dietary treatments was Rs. 20.15, 19.83 and 19.73, respectively. Overall evaluation of the results of the present study revealed that fermented fish waste silage could be used economically as a substitute for unsalted dried fish in the ration of broilers on protein basis, without any adverse effect on growth rate and feed conversion efficiency, while, the ready-to-cook yield tended to be lower in birds receiving diets with 100 per cent fermented fish silage.
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Utilization of urea at different stages of development of rumen in weaned calves
    (Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2005) Raja, D; KAU; Viswanathan, T V
    An experiment was conducted with eighteen female cross bred calves below one week of age for 150 days to assess the optimum age for the utilization of urea and also the health status of urea fed calves. Calves were divided into three groups as uniformly as possible and allotted randomly to three treatments T1, T2 and T3. Calf starter as per BIS specification (Diet 1) and calf starter with 2 per cent urea (Diet 2) formed the experimental diet. Both the diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric. Calves in the T1 were fed with diet 1 from two weeks to five months. Calves in the T2 were fed with diet 1 from two to twelve weeks, later on with diet 2 till five months. Calves in the T3 were fed with diet 1 from two to eight weeks, later on with diet 2 till five months. Milk was fed till three months of age as per the requirement. Green grass and paddy straw were fed ad libitum. Average daily gain and daily dry matter intake, respectively were 305 g and 1.39 kg for the calves in T1, 299 g and 1.43 kg for the calves in T2, and 321 g and 1.53 kg for the calves in T3, and the values were not significantly different (P>0.05). Feed to gain ratio for T1, T2, and T3 were 4.61, 4.85 and 4.83, respectively and were not significantly different among treatments. Blood biochemical parameter such as blood glucose, AST, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, total protein, albumin, globulin, A:G ratio did not show any significant difference. Urinary parameters such as urea and creatinine also did not show any significant difference but there was a trend for increased urea excretion in those calves fed urea. Rumen liquor parameter such as pH, MBRT, protozoal activity, TVFA, rumen NH3-N also did not statistically differ (P>0.05). The digestibility coefficient of nutrients observed were 62.26, 59.15, and 60.00 for dry matter, 64.92, 64.89 and 64.91 for crude protein, 70.83, 72.40 and 70.13 for ether extract, 61.39, 58.32 and 62.50 for neutral detergent fibre, 49.81, 47.92 and 51.52 for acid detergent fibre for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. There was no significant difference between the treatments. Cost per kilogram body weight gain was Rs. 73.45, 73.13 and 70.67, respectively for T1, T2, and T3. It could be inferred from the study that urea could be utilized by calves from nine weeks of age without any deleterious effect.