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Item Open Access EFFECTS OF BREED AND SEX ON THE THERMO-PHYSIOLOGY, HAEMATOLOGY, SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY AND THYROID HORMONE PROFILE OF NIGERIAN GOATS(DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2020-02-18) Timveh, Jeremiah TerzungweThis study was embarked upon to evaluate the breed and sex effects on the thermo-physiology and blood parameters; predict heat stress index and appropriately classify West African Dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto (RS) goats that are predominantly found in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Twenty four (n=24) healthy, non pregnant goats of both sexes of equal numbers of WAD and RS were used. The experiment was arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial in a completely randomized design. General Linear Model (GLM) procedure was employed to test the fixed effects of breed and sex including breed * sex interaction on the parameters. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm was used to predict heat stress index while the standardized discriminant function was used to screen for the most discriminating variables to separate WAD from RS goats.WAD goats had higher rectal temperature (38.93±0.10versus 38.59±0.10) and pulse rate (54.78±0.24 versus 53.67±0.24) compared to their RS counterparts. However, there was no significant difference in heat stress index between WAD and RS goats. Based on thermo-physiological parameters, male goats appeared to be more stressed. There was no significant Breed * Sex interaction effect on thermo-physiological traits. The results of haematological and serum biochemical and hormonal indices of goats also indicated that WAD goats appeared to be more stressed. The female goats appeared to be more stressed than their male counterparts as a result of some high hormonal indices. There was no significantly (P>0.05) different on Breed * Sex interaction effect on haematological indices. However, there was a significantly (P<0.05) on interaction effect on thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). While male and female WAD goats were similar, female RS goats had higher value of TSH (1.20±0.21) than their male counterparts (0.57±0.21).The ANN algorithm revealed that respiratory rate, cortisol, pulse rate and WBC which had more influence on heat stress prediction in goats compared to breed, sex and other haematological, serum biochemical and hormonal parameters. Haemoglobin, white blood cells, rectal temperature and pulse rate were sufficient to correctly assign WAD and RS goats to their appropriate breed (100% and 83.3% for correct original grouped cases and cross-validated assignment). The present information may aid breed characterization and conservation of WAD and RS goats in Nasarawa State, Nigeria.Item Open Access POLYMORPHISM OF PIT-1 GENE, MORPHOMETRIC TRAITS AND THERMOPHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES IN TWO CHICKEN GENOTYPES IN SMALLHOLDER FLOCK IN NASARAWA STATE(Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-02-02) Akumbugu, Faith ElijahPituitary specific transcription factor 1 (Pit-1) is a transcription factor involved in controlling immune system of the body through mechanism of growth hormone cascade in birds. This study aimed at assessing phenotypic and genetic diversity of Pit-1 gene in chickens kept by rural farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 180 birds, six (6) weeks of age (growers) of both sexes comprising equal number of indigenous normal feathered and Noiler chickens reared by smallholder farmers with similar management system in the three Senatorial zones of Nasarawa State, Nigeria were randomly sampled. Body weight (BW), six primary biometric traits [body length (BL), breast circumference (BC), thigh circumference (TC), foot length (FL), total leg length (TLL) and wing length (WL)] and four morphological indices [massiveness (MAS), stockiness (STK), long-leggedness (LL) and condition index (Cl)] were measured or determined on each bird on a four weekly basis for six (6) months. At the same time, rectal temperature (RT), pulse rate (PR) and respiratory rate (RR) of birds were taken according to standard methods. One (lml) of blood sample was also obtained from each bird for genomic analysis. The general linear model (GLM) was used to test the fixed effects of Strain (Bi), Sex (Sj) and Location (Lk) as well as their interactions on body traits. Sequence alignments, translations and comparisons were carried out and Phylogenetic trees constructed using the appropriate options of MEGA 6. Noiler birds recorded higher (P<0.05) morphometric traits than their indigenous counterparts. Noiler birds were also superior (P<0.05) to their indigenous counterparts for morphological indices except for stockiness. Male birds recorded higher (P<0.05) body parameters and morphological indices than their female counterparts. The results of location effect were also significant (P<0.05). Heat tolerance traits and stress index for strain effect were not significant, except for pulse rate that appeared higher in the Noiler birds. The female birds also appeared more thermally stressed (P<0.05). For location effect, birds in Nasarawa South were thermally stressed which implies thermal discomfort. There were significant effects (P<0.05) of strain*sex, strain*location, sex * location interactions on most body parameters, morphological indices and heat tolerance traits of birds. The body weights of both Noiler male and female chicken were heavier and from the quadratic functions were predicted at an optimality age of 25.833 and 27.25 weeks. Nonsynonymous substitutions exceeded those of synonymous substitutions (dN /dS> 1) in Nigerian indigenous chickens, implying positive selection while those of Noiler indicated purifying selection (dN/dSItem Open Access EFFECTS OF 4BAC-EXTRA PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION LEVELS ON PERFORMANCE, EGG QUALITY, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITYAND BLOOD PARAMETERS OF SASSO LAYING HENS(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2018-09-01) Haruna, Hadiza SalihuThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of 4Bac-Extra Probiotic supplementation levels on performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility and biochemical profile of Sasso laying hens using One Hundred and Sixty (160) Sasso layers that were randomly assigned into four treatments with four replicates each representing T1- 0, T2- 5, T3- 10 and T4- 15% supplementation of basal feed with 4Bac-Extra probiotics. During the sixty two days (62 d) experimental period, the birds were managed on deep litter and provided with the experimental feeds and water ad libitum. The parameters measured were body weight, feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, survival percentage, nutrient digestibility, biochemical, hematological parameters and egg quality characteristics. The results obtained indicated no significant (p>0.05) effects on body weight, body weight gain, survival %, and performance index. However, Feed Intake and Feed Conversion Ratio significantly (P<0.05) differ and better in diet T2 (5%) and diet T3 (10%). Nutrient digestibility indicates a significant (P<0.05) difference between treatments with better and higher values in diet T4 for most nutrients measured. Hematological and serum biochemical showed no significant (P>0.05) difference between treatments, similarly the result obtained result obtained from internal and external egg quality indicates no significant (P<0.05) difference. The results obtained from this experiment indicate that the effects of 4-Bac Extra probiotics were only slight. However, inclusion of 5 – 10% was found to have satisfactory effects on birds.