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Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively. Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively. On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs. In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc. During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.

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20073
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Subject: Poultry Science × Author: KAU × End date: 2007 × Start date: 2007 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of esterified glucomannan on alleviation of aflatoxicosis in broiler chicken
    (Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2007) Maldhure, Niteen Arvind; KAU; Richard, Churchil R
    An experiment was conducted at the Department of Poultry Science to investigate the effect of esterified glucomannan (E-GM) on alleviation of aflatoxicosis in broiler chicken. Day old broiler chicks numbering two hundred were reared under four different treatments with five replicates of ten chicks each. The four dietary treatments were T1 (control), T2 (1 ppm aflatoxin B1), T3 (0.1 per cent E-GM) and T4 (1 ppm aflatoxin B1 plus 0.1 per cent E-GM). Chicks were reared under standard managemental conditions up to six weeks of age. The broiler starter ration was fed from zero to four weeks and finisher ration from five to six weeks of age. Results of the study revealed that, inclusion of aflatoxin B1 (1 ppm) adversely affected the weekly body weight, weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency and overall livability during the experimental period. Serum concentrations of total protein, albumin and cholesterol in broilers fed 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 were significantly (P<0.05) depressed whereas; serum glucose level was significantly (P<0.05) elevated than control. Aflatoxin B1 caused significant increase in relative weights of liver, spleen and kidney. No significant difference existed between treatments for relative weights of bursa of Fabricius. The per cent dressed and eviscerated yields were significantly (P<0.05) decreased whereas giblet yield was significantly (P<0.05) increased in aflatoxin treated group. The per cent ready-to-cook yield, blood loss, feather loss and total loss were not influenced by dietary supplementation of aflatoxin B1. Supplementation of E-GM to toxin free diet caused no significant difference in the weekly body weight, weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, relative organ weights, serum parameters and processing yields compared to control. Livability was better in T3 than control during the experimental period. Inclusion of E-GM in the aflatoxin B1 treated diet significantly counteracted the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 on final body weight, cumulative weight gain and feed consumption and feed efficiency up to sixth week of age. Decreased level of serum total protein, albumin and cholesterol and increased glucose level due to aflatoxin feeding was restored to normal level. The altered relative weights of liver, spleen and kidney due to aflatoxin feeding were significantly improved by E-GM supplementation. The per cent eviscerated, dressed yield and giblet yield were restored by supplementation of E-GM to aflatoxin B1 treated feed. However no effect was observed on ready to cook yield, blood loss, feather loss and total loss compared to other treatments. The reduction in net profit per kg body weight caused by dietary aflatoxin was increased substantially by supplementation of E-GM to the contaminated feed.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Utilisation of dried fish waste and fermented fish waste silage in japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) layer ration
    (Department of Poultry Science,College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Mannuthy, 2007) Preeta Raghavan; KAU; Amritha Viswanath
    An experiment was conducted in Japanese quail layers from 7 to 26 weeks of age by 100 per cent replacement of unsalted dried fish with dried fish waste and fermented fish waste silage on protein basis. The objective of the study was to assess the production performance as well as the economics of feed cost over production. One hundred and forty four Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) pullets of 6 weeks of age were randomly allotted to three treatment groups with four replicates of 12 quails each. Quail layer ration containing 10 per cent unsalted dried fish formed control ration (T1). The other two diets were formulated by 100 per cent replacement of unsalted dried fish by dried fish waste (T2) and fermented fish waste silage (T3). The experiment was conducted for five 28- day periods from 7 to 26 weeks of age. Data on meteorological parameters, body weight, body weight gain, egg production, egg quality characteristics, sensory evaluation, livability and economics were the criteria used for evaluation. The body weights in groups T1, T2 and T3 were 189.37, 192.69 and 187.07g at 6 weeks and 213.15, 219.42 and 211.72g at 26 weeks of age respectively. The body weight and body weight gain during observation period for different dietary treatments did not differ significantly (P<0.05). All the birds in treatments viz., T1, T2 and T3 attained sexual maturity at the age of 42.5, 43.3 and 42 days. The age at sexual maturity, the age at 10 and 50 per cent production did not differ significantly (P<0.05) between treatments. The quail housed egg production and quail day egg production were statistically comparable among the treatment groups. The cumulative quail housed number of eggs in the different dietary groups were 77.96, 91.74 and 82.51 respectively. The cumulative quail day number of eggs were 80.57, 92.79 and 85.64 respectively. The overall mean feed consumption per bird per day were 30.89, 31.42 and 31.33g for T1, T2 and T3 respectively. Significantly lower feed consumption was noted in control group (T1). Overall mean feed efficiency were 0.61, 0.65 and 0.67 for treatment groups T1, T2 and T3 respectively. The overall mean egg weight of three dietary treatment groups T1, T2 and T3 were 11.91, 11.97 and 11.80g respectively and did not differ significantly (P<0.05). The cumulative mean egg quality traits such as shape index, albumen index, yolk index, internal quality unit and shell thickness did not differ significantly among the treatment groups. The mean score of sensory evaluation of quail eggs did not differ significantly among different dietary treatment groups. The livability per cent in treatment groups T1, T2 and T3 were 87.5, 85.4 and 70.8 per cent respectively. The cost of feed per egg was Rs.0.54, 0.37 and 0.42 for treatment groups T1, T2 and T3 respectively. Marked reduction in the feed cost was noticed in the diet containing dried fish waste (T2) followed by fermented fish waste silage included diet (T3) The overall evaluation of the study reveals that dried fish waste and fermented fish waste silage could be used economically to replace unsalted dried fish protein completely in Japanese quail layer rations, without any adverse effect on overall performance.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of dietary supplementation of turmeric (Curcuma longa ) on production performance of broiler chicken
    (Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2007) Simi, G; KAU; Anitha, P
    An experiment was conducted at the Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy to study the effect of dietary supplementation of turmeric (Curcuma longa) on performance of broiler chicken. One hundred and ninety two, day-old commercial broiler chicks (Vencob) were reared under four dietary groups with four replicates of twelve birds each. The group Ti was the control group and turmeric powder was supplemented in the basal diet at 0.2 per cent (T2), 0.4 per cent (T3) and 0.6 per cent (T4). The chicks were reared under standard managemental conditions up to six weeks of age. The broiler starter ration was fed from zero to four weeks of age and finisher ration from five to six weeks of age. Results of the present study revealed that supplementation of turmeric at 0.6 per cent level significantly (P S 0.05) depressed the final body weight of broilers at 6 weeks of age. The cumulative feed intake and feed conversion ratio up to sixth week of age did not reveal significant difference between the dietary groups. The ready to cook yield, blood loss and total loss were not influenced by the dietary supplementation of turmeric. The dressed yield in groups fed 0.2 and 0.4 per cent turmeric were significantly higher (P S 0.05) than that of the control group. The giblet yield in all the turmeric supplemented groups were significantly higher than the control group (P S 0.05). The per cent weight of thymus and bursa were increased by . the supplementation of 0.6 per cent turmeric. The dietary supplementation' of turmeric improved the haematological parameters as haemoglobin, packed cell volume, total leucocyte and erythrocyte counts. The dietary supplementation of turmeric at 0.4 and 0.6 per cent levels (T3 and T4) resulted in a significant (PS 0.05) reduction in serum cholesterol level. The supplementation of turmeric did not influence the level of serum total protein. The supplementation of turmeric at 0.4 and 0.6 per cent levels (T3 and T4) significantly (PS 0.05) reduced the serum total lipids in broilers. The level of liver enzymes ALT and AST was significantly (PS 0.05) reduced by the supplementation of turmeric at 0.6 per cent level. The supplementation of turmeric at 0.4 per cent reduced the thigh meat cholesterol in broilers (P~ 0.05). Livability of birds in all dietary groups was 100 per cent. The results obtained in the present study showed that the supplementation of turmeric at the levels 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 per cent employed in the study had no deleterious effect in broilers .The net profit per kg body weight was reduced as a result of inclusion of turmeric powder in broiler diet. However, the higher dressed and giblet yields, lower meat cholesterol consequent to turmeric supplementation seems to be advantageous.