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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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Subject: Poultry Science × Start date: 1978 × Thesis Type: M.V.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Utilisation of dried cuttle fish (sepia officialis) waste silage in japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) layer ration
    (College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2005) Lekshmy, M A; KAU; Jalaludeen, A
    An experiment was conducted in Japanese quail layers from six to 26 weeks of age by replacing unsalted dried fish with cuttle fish waste silage on crude protein basis. The objective was to assess the production performance as well as the economics of feed cost over production. Two hundred and forty Japanese quail pullets of six weeks age were divided randomly into twelve groups of 20 birds each. They were randomly allotted into three treatment groups, T1, T2 and T3 and maintained on isonitrogenous and isocaloric diet. The unsalted dried fish content in the control ration (T1) was replaced by cuttle fish waste silage at 50 and 100 per cent levels in T2 and T3, respectively. The initial and final body weight were recorded. Data collection was done for five periods of twenty eight days each from seven to twenty six weeks. At the end of the trial pooled yolk samples and two liver samples from each replicate were analysed for fatty acid profile. The initial and final body weight and the body weight gain during experimental period for different dietary treatments did not differ significantly. The birds belonged to group T2 attained sexual maturity first followed by the control group T1. There was a slight delay for group T3 in attaining sexual maturity (P<0.01). The age at 10 and 50 per cent production did not differ significantly between treatments. The period wise mean daily feed consumption was lower in T3 than T1 and T2 (P<0.01). The mean feed intake was highest in T1 followed by T2 and T3 and the treatments differed significantly (P<0.05). The cumulative feed conversion efficiency was superior inT1 and T2 (P<0.01) than T3. The cumulative hen housed and hen day egg number of T1 and T2 were significantly higher (p<0.01) than T3. Though the per cent hen housed and hen day egg production of birds in treatments T1 and T2 were significantly higher in all the periods, the overall mean values did not show any significant difference. The egg quality traits recorded viz., shape index, albumen index, yolk index, internal quality unit and shell thickness did not differ significantly between treatments in any of the periods (P>0.05). The oleic acid content of quail liver was significantly higher in T3 than T1 but no significant difference was noticed among the egg yolk fatty acids. The cost of feed per egg was lowest in T2 followed by T1 and T3. Overall evaluation of the study reveals that the cuttle fish waste silage could be used economically to replace 50 per cent of crude protein from unsalted dried fish on protein basis in Japanese quail layer rations, without any adverse effect on growth, production and egg quality and feed cost.