Victor Benante | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana (original) (raw)

Papers by Victor Benante

Journal of Applied Animal Research, Aug 21, 2023

wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of blac... more wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae for subsistent animal feed,

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH, 2023

wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of blac... more wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae for subsistent animal feed,

European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 2023

The use of insect protein as an alternative protein source in poultry feed has gained significant... more The use of insect protein as an alternative protein source in poultry feed has gained significant attention due to its potential benefits in terms of sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and reduced reliance on traditional protein sources. However, the adoption of this novel practice in the poultry industry may depend on awareness creation for farmers as healthy feed for poultry into the human food chain. This study aims to investigate poultry farmers' awareness and readiness to adopt insect protein as an alternative protein source for poultry. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using structured questionnaires administered to 177 poultry farmers and consumers in the Ashanti and Bono regions of Ghana by simple randomisation. The survey collected data on farm size, feed dynamics, protein sources, and awareness and readiness to adopt insect protein as a protein source in poultry feed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of percentages and graphs. The study found that 75% of the farmers interviewed had a farm capacity of over 1,000 birds, making them medium to large-scale commercial farmers. However, the feed formulated was not always balanced. Some farmers fed an excess of the required protein levels. Furthermore, while 52% of farmers had knowledge of the insect as an alternative protein source only 3.8% were willing to adopt it. Additionally, 82.5% of the consumers are willing to patronise insect-fed-derived meat with the insect protein qualifying as an organic product. The study concludes that awareness of the use of insects as protein for poultry is important. There is a need to increase research on the benefits of insects to address meat and egg quality and benefits.

Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2023

Background: Medicinal herbs as classes of additives to poultry feeds have proven to be beneficial... more Background: Medicinal herbs as classes of additives to poultry feeds have proven to be beneficial due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Objective: A 6-week study was conducted to assess the effects of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis M.) as an alternative to antibiotics on the growth performance, carcass traits and haemato-biochemical parameters of broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 240 unsexed commercial broiler chickens, 2 weeks old, were randomly allocated to four treatments: T1 (negative control), T2 (positive control, 1 g/L oxytetracycline), T3 (0.5% Aloe vera gel extract) and T4 (1% Aloe vera gel extract) in a completely randomised design (CRD), with six replicates of 10 birds per replicate. The Aloe vera gel extract was administered in fresh drinking water. Results: The results revealed across all the treatment groups, no significant (p > 0.05) differences were found in terms of growth performance and carcass traits. However, the mortality rate was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the positive control and the Aloe vera groups compared to the negative control. Total cholesterol, total glucose, and high-density lipoprotein values for the experimental groups (T3 and T4) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of the control groups. The values for red blood cell count, haemoglobin content, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration for the birds treated with Aloe vera gel were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of the control groups. Conclusions: It is therefore concluded that the addition of Aloe vera gel extracts up to 1% in the drinking water could replace antibiotics in broiler chickens without any adverse effects on the health status and the performance of birds.

American Online Literature, 2023

The effects of stocking density and environmental conditions on performance, economic profit, car... more The effects of stocking density and environmental conditions on performance, economic profit, carcase characteristics, immunity, and blood plasma parameters of Cobb 500 strain of broiler chickens were evaluated. The 4 climate regions (mild and humid, semi-arid, alpine, hot and dry) and 4 densities (10, 15, 17 and 20 chicks/m 2) were carried out as a completely randomised design with 4 Â 4 factorial arrangement of treatments. The corn and soybean based diets were formulated according to the nutrition requirements guide of the Cobb 500 for starter and grower periods. The amount and the composition of the diet were the same for all experimental groups. Growth performance and feed intake were measured weekly. After the injection of sheep red blood cell at 15 and 35 days, blood samples were taken at 24 and 42 days, respectively, to study the immunity of broiler chickens. At the end of the experiment, 3 birds were slaughtered from each experimental unit for measuring the weights of carcase, abdominal fat, gastrointestinal organs (the total weight of gastrointestinal tract and caeca, and liver) and blood parameters. The interaction effects of stocking density and climate region on feed conversion ratio (in starter period), survival rate, cost, profit, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoproteins (HDL), HDL/low density lipoproteins (LDL) ratio, and liver enzymes aspartate aminotranferases (AST), also known as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), and alanine aminotranferase (ALT) were significant (p < .05). Climate and density each had a significant effect on production index (p < .05). The highest production index was obtained in alpine climate. Moreover, the density of 10 chicks/m 2 showed the highest production index. The results showed that rearing Cobb strain chickens in hot and dry climate and at the density of 17 chicks/m 2 had the most economic benefit. Based on the results of this study to achieve the highest profit in different climates, a density of 17 chicks/m 2 (0.633 ft 2 per bird) is recommended for Cobb 500 strain chickens. HIGHLIGHTS Nutritional efficiency changes by environmental factors such as climate and stocking density. Obtain sufficient information to combined effect of stocking density and climate on the performance of Cobb 500 broiler chickens. The most reached profit was in the dry climate at a density of 17 chicks/m 2 compared to other climates and densities.

International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 2022

The recent problem of the COVID-19 pandemic has thwarted every facet of life andthe poultry indus... more The recent problem of the COVID-19 pandemic has thwarted every facet of life andthe poultry industry is not spared from its ravages.A survey was conducted to ascertain the extent to which the pandemic has affected the poultry industry in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Open and close-ended questionnaires were administered to poultry farmers, feed millers, traders and consumers of poultry products. The Snowball sampling technique was employed in taking data from the poultry farmers and feed millers. A random sampling method was used in collecting data from traders and consumers.The data were first coded with the procedure of SPSS and descriptive statistics including tables and graphswere generated. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the poultry industry in Ghana negatively by crippling the stakeholders in the industry. Poultry farmers are stalling in their various productions because their workers are leaving their jobs because of non-payment of salaries.Farmers are burdened with the reality of a shortage of inputs and so production is not able to go on properly. Feed millers cannot get access to feed ingredients and the few that are available are expensive, making the compounded feed very expensive to farmers. Traders, on the other hand, are not able to source poultry products and so an increase in demand has resulted in the increment inthe price of poultry products. Consumers who are at the end of the value chain can no longer afford the cost and so are now looking for alternatives to poultry products.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science,, 2020

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on fer... more This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on fertility, egg quality, and hatchability of Japanese quail eggs at the early stage of laying. One hundred and ninety-two (192) Japanese layer quails were randomly allocated to four (4) dietary treatments; T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of MOLM partially replacing similar amounts of soybean meal respectively. There were 3 replicates for each treatment with 16 quails in each replicate, i.e. 4 males and 12 females in a completely randomized design. Both feed and water were provided ad-libitum each day. Eggs were collected two times daily (7am and 5pm). A total of 36 quail eggs were randomly selected and used for egg quality analysis, another batch of 480 eggs (40 eggs from each replicate) were incubated for 17 days, the hatched eggs were sorted out from unhatched eggs to determine fertility, hatchability and dead in shell. Unhatched eggs were then broken to check eggs that were unable to pip successfully. Data collected were organized in Excel and then analyzed using General Linear Model as described by Minitab (version 18.1). The means were separated using Tukey's pairwise comparison with probability value set at 5%. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences for fertility, hatchability, and dead in shell and there were no significant (p>0.05) differences in egg quality parameters studied except for yolk colour: as the MOLM levels increased, the yellow yolk colour became deeper. Moringa oleifera leaf meal can be added to Japanese quail diets up to 15% as partial replacement for soybean meal with no adverse effects on egg quality, fertility and hatchability of quail eggs.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science,, 2020

using twelve guinea pigs. The guinea pigs were allotted randomly to four treatments comprising a ... more using twelve guinea pigs. The guinea pigs were allotted randomly to four treatments comprising a mixture of Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) leaves, Cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves and Centrosema (Centrosema pubescens) leaves. The 4 treatments were T1, T2, T3 and T4 with T 1 being the control, composed of Guinea grass leaves, T 2 composed of 50% Guinea grass leaves and 50% Centrosema leaves, T 3 composed of 50% Guinea grass leaves and 50% Cassava leaves and T 4 composed of 50% Guinea grass leaves, 25% Centrosema leaves and 25% Cassava leaves. Each treatment was replicated three times. The feeding trial lasted for a period of 49 days (7 weeks). Feed and water were supplied on ad libitum basis. The weights of the animals were recorded weekly to determine the weight changes of the animals as the experiment progressed. At the end of the experiment, the animals were slaughtered and eviscerated to determine the carcass characteristics. Significant (p<0.05) difference was observed in the total feed intake, where T1 recorded the highest feed intake, followed by T4 then T2 and finally T3. There were no significant (p>0.05 difference) in the initial and final weights, weight gain and feed conversion efficiency across the various treatments. Full stomach, empty stomach and spleen weights recorded significant (p<0.05) difference among the various treatments. In each of these cases, T4 recorded the highest mean weight and it was in the order T1<T2<T3<T4, nevertheless, the remaining carcass traits recorded no significant (p>0.05) differences. The results of the study indicated that the various combinations were acceptable to the animals, did not lead to mortalities and could therefore be used as feeding material for the guinea pigs.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, , 2020

A review was carried out to ascertain the effect of fresh raw quail eggs on the lipid profile and... more A review was carried out to ascertain the effect of fresh raw quail eggs on the lipid profile and blood sugar level of diabetes-induced albino rats. Data were gathered from Google Scholar, Research Gate and Google. A total of 34 articles were selected for evaluation out of 154, which were retrieved and subjected to careful and critical review. All the articles reviewed, indicated a common treatment group (Diabetes induced rats treated with fresh raw quail eggs) and two controls (positive and negative). The positive control involved diabetes induced albino rats not treated with fresh raw quail eggs, the negative control on the other hand involved normal albino rats untreated with fresh quail eggs. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the articles reviewed reported a reduction (p<0.05) in the total cholesterol levels (TC) when the diabetic albino rats were treated with fresh raw quail eggs as compared to the positive control. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the authors had a reduction (p<0.05) in the high density lipoprotein levels (HDLC) for treatment group compared to their positive control counterparts, when they treated the diabetic albino rats with quail eggs. All the articles reviewed reported a decrease (p<0.05) in the Low density lipoprotein (LDLC) among diabetic albino rats treated with fresh raw quail eggs as compared to their positive control counterparts. Seven-five percent (75%) of the articles reported a reduction (p<0.05) in the total triglyceride level (TG) among the diabetic albino rats treated with fresh raw quail eggs as compared to their control counterparts. It was further noticed that, all the articles reviewed, noted a decrease (p<0.05) in the blood glucose level when they treated the diabetic albino rats with fresh raw quail eggs. From the foregoing, it can be established that quail eggs was responsible for the various reductions seen above and so it can be concluded that quail eggs is a potential remedy for Diabetes mellitus.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2020

A five-week experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Ficus exasperata leaf meal (FELM)... more A five-week experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Ficus exasperata leaf meal (FELM) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of three-weeks-old Japanese quails. Ninety-six (96) Japanese layer quails were randomly allocated to four (4) dietary treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% of FELM partially replacing similar amounts of soy-bean meal respectively, and with 3 replicates per treatment. T1 served as the control diet (No FELM). Eight (8) quails were allotted to each replicate under completely randomised design. Growth performance were measured during the feeding trial and afterwards, carcass characteris-tics were evaluated. Data collected were analysed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as de-scribed by Minitab (version 18.1). The means were compared using Tukey’s pairwise comparison with a confidence level of 95%. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the mean daily and total feed intakes, initial weights and final live weight among the various treatments. However, there were significant (p<0.05) differences in the daily and total weight gains across the various treatments, with T1 recording the highest weight gain, followed by T2, T3 and T4. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the mean feed conversion ratio among the treatments, with T4 being a poor converter of feed to gain. The feed cost per kilogram diet and the feed cost per kilo-gram weight gain decreased as the inclusion levels of FELM increased. There were significant (p<0.05) differences in the live, bled and eviscerated weights across the various treatment, with T2 recording the highest weights, followed by T1, T3 and then T4. Shank, drum stick, thigh and breast muscle weights also recorded significant (p<0.05) differences among the various treatment, with a similar trend as mentioned above, T2 recording the highest weights followed by T1, T3 and T4. The remaining carcass parameters recorded no significant differences across the various treat-ments. The results indicate that FELM may be fed to quail birds up to 4% of the diet without any adverse effects on their growth performance and carcass characteristics

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2020

An experiment was conducted with Cobb-500 commercial broiler chicken to investigate the effect of... more An experiment was conducted with Cobb-500 commercial broiler chicken to investigate the effect
of feeding varying levels of Feed mill waste (FMW) on their growth performance and carcass
characteristics. One hundred and forty-four out of a total consignment of one hundred and fifty
broilers were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design.
The dietary treatments were T1, a Control diet with 0% FMW, T2 (5% FMW), T3 (10% FMW) and
T4 (15% FMW). Experimental diets and water were given ad- libitum for a period of five (5) weeks
after three (3) weeks of brooding. Growth performance were measured during the rearing period
and afterwards, carcass characteristics were evaluated. There were no significant difference
(p>0.05) among all the treatments (T1 to T4), for all the growth parameters studied. Numerically,
daily and total feed intake for the control group (T1) was higher than all the other treatment
groups. In terms of the daily and total weight gains, treatment T2, T3 and T4 had numerically
higher mean values than the control group (T1). The trend was the same for FCR. Feed cost/kg
diet and feed cost/kg weight gain decreased as the inclusion levels of FMW increased across the
various treatments from the control group (T1) to T4. There were no mortalities during the experiment.
It was concluded that FMW can be incorporated in broiler diets at an inclusion level of up to
15% without any adverse effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics. The inclusion
of FMW could reduce the feed cost and the cost of producing a kg weight gain.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2019

A six-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM)... more A six-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the growth and laying performance and carcass characteristics of four-week-old Jap-anese quails. One hundred and ninety-two (192) layer Japanese quails were randomly allocated to four (4) dietary treatments; T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% MOLM partially replacing similar amounts of soya bean meal respectively, and with 3 replicates per treatment. T1 served as the control diet (no MOLM). Sixteen (16) quails were allotted per replicate under a completely randomised design. Growth and laying performance were measured during the rearing and laying periods and afterwards, carcass characteristics were evaluated. Data collected were analysed using the general linear model procedure as described by Minitab (version 18.1). The means were compared using Tukey's pairwise comparison with a confidence level of 95%. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the mean weights for the laying and carcass parameters measured. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the mean weight gains among the treatments, with an increase in weight gain from T1(55g) to T3(73g) and a decline in T4(61g). However, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the means of the feed intake as well as their final weights.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2019

Entomophagy is widely practised in Ghana. Insects such as termites, ground crickets, locusts, etc... more Entomophagy is widely practised in Ghana. Insects such as termites, ground crickets, locusts, etc. are mostly considered a delicacy among many Ghanaian communities. African palm weevil larvae (APWL) is one of such insects which has attracted public attention. It was revealed in a research that APWL is the most consumed insect in Ghana as compared to the other insects, hence there is the need to assess the possibility of producing it on a large scale. A survey was conducted to assess the marketing potentials of the larvae in the Kumasi Metropolis. Questionnaires consisting of both open and close ended questions were administered to 400 respondents. The results of the study revealed that, majority of the respondents (79%) were aware of the larvae, but it was only a few of them (45%) that had consumed the larvae. The majority who had never consumed the larvae indicated that the worm-like appearance of the larvae put them off as far as consuming the larvae was concerned. It was also revealed that as family size increased, the quantity of larvae that consumers were willing to purchase also increased. The market potential for APWL was empirically estimated at GH¢5,789 per month.

Journal of Applied Animal Research, Aug 21, 2023

wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of blac... more wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae for subsistent animal feed,

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH, 2023

wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of blac... more wastes as substrates and its impact on growth, proximate chemical and mineral composition of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae for subsistent animal feed,

European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 2023

The use of insect protein as an alternative protein source in poultry feed has gained significant... more The use of insect protein as an alternative protein source in poultry feed has gained significant attention due to its potential benefits in terms of sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and reduced reliance on traditional protein sources. However, the adoption of this novel practice in the poultry industry may depend on awareness creation for farmers as healthy feed for poultry into the human food chain. This study aims to investigate poultry farmers' awareness and readiness to adopt insect protein as an alternative protein source for poultry. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using structured questionnaires administered to 177 poultry farmers and consumers in the Ashanti and Bono regions of Ghana by simple randomisation. The survey collected data on farm size, feed dynamics, protein sources, and awareness and readiness to adopt insect protein as a protein source in poultry feed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of percentages and graphs. The study found that 75% of the farmers interviewed had a farm capacity of over 1,000 birds, making them medium to large-scale commercial farmers. However, the feed formulated was not always balanced. Some farmers fed an excess of the required protein levels. Furthermore, while 52% of farmers had knowledge of the insect as an alternative protein source only 3.8% were willing to adopt it. Additionally, 82.5% of the consumers are willing to patronise insect-fed-derived meat with the insect protein qualifying as an organic product. The study concludes that awareness of the use of insects as protein for poultry is important. There is a need to increase research on the benefits of insects to address meat and egg quality and benefits.

Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2023

Background: Medicinal herbs as classes of additives to poultry feeds have proven to be beneficial... more Background: Medicinal herbs as classes of additives to poultry feeds have proven to be beneficial due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Objective: A 6-week study was conducted to assess the effects of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis M.) as an alternative to antibiotics on the growth performance, carcass traits and haemato-biochemical parameters of broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 240 unsexed commercial broiler chickens, 2 weeks old, were randomly allocated to four treatments: T1 (negative control), T2 (positive control, 1 g/L oxytetracycline), T3 (0.5% Aloe vera gel extract) and T4 (1% Aloe vera gel extract) in a completely randomised design (CRD), with six replicates of 10 birds per replicate. The Aloe vera gel extract was administered in fresh drinking water. Results: The results revealed across all the treatment groups, no significant (p > 0.05) differences were found in terms of growth performance and carcass traits. However, the mortality rate was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the positive control and the Aloe vera groups compared to the negative control. Total cholesterol, total glucose, and high-density lipoprotein values for the experimental groups (T3 and T4) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of the control groups. The values for red blood cell count, haemoglobin content, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration for the birds treated with Aloe vera gel were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of the control groups. Conclusions: It is therefore concluded that the addition of Aloe vera gel extracts up to 1% in the drinking water could replace antibiotics in broiler chickens without any adverse effects on the health status and the performance of birds.

American Online Literature, 2023

The effects of stocking density and environmental conditions on performance, economic profit, car... more The effects of stocking density and environmental conditions on performance, economic profit, carcase characteristics, immunity, and blood plasma parameters of Cobb 500 strain of broiler chickens were evaluated. The 4 climate regions (mild and humid, semi-arid, alpine, hot and dry) and 4 densities (10, 15, 17 and 20 chicks/m 2) were carried out as a completely randomised design with 4 Â 4 factorial arrangement of treatments. The corn and soybean based diets were formulated according to the nutrition requirements guide of the Cobb 500 for starter and grower periods. The amount and the composition of the diet were the same for all experimental groups. Growth performance and feed intake were measured weekly. After the injection of sheep red blood cell at 15 and 35 days, blood samples were taken at 24 and 42 days, respectively, to study the immunity of broiler chickens. At the end of the experiment, 3 birds were slaughtered from each experimental unit for measuring the weights of carcase, abdominal fat, gastrointestinal organs (the total weight of gastrointestinal tract and caeca, and liver) and blood parameters. The interaction effects of stocking density and climate region on feed conversion ratio (in starter period), survival rate, cost, profit, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoproteins (HDL), HDL/low density lipoproteins (LDL) ratio, and liver enzymes aspartate aminotranferases (AST), also known as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), and alanine aminotranferase (ALT) were significant (p < .05). Climate and density each had a significant effect on production index (p < .05). The highest production index was obtained in alpine climate. Moreover, the density of 10 chicks/m 2 showed the highest production index. The results showed that rearing Cobb strain chickens in hot and dry climate and at the density of 17 chicks/m 2 had the most economic benefit. Based on the results of this study to achieve the highest profit in different climates, a density of 17 chicks/m 2 (0.633 ft 2 per bird) is recommended for Cobb 500 strain chickens. HIGHLIGHTS Nutritional efficiency changes by environmental factors such as climate and stocking density. Obtain sufficient information to combined effect of stocking density and climate on the performance of Cobb 500 broiler chickens. The most reached profit was in the dry climate at a density of 17 chicks/m 2 compared to other climates and densities.

International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 2022

The recent problem of the COVID-19 pandemic has thwarted every facet of life andthe poultry indus... more The recent problem of the COVID-19 pandemic has thwarted every facet of life andthe poultry industry is not spared from its ravages.A survey was conducted to ascertain the extent to which the pandemic has affected the poultry industry in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Open and close-ended questionnaires were administered to poultry farmers, feed millers, traders and consumers of poultry products. The Snowball sampling technique was employed in taking data from the poultry farmers and feed millers. A random sampling method was used in collecting data from traders and consumers.The data were first coded with the procedure of SPSS and descriptive statistics including tables and graphswere generated. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the poultry industry in Ghana negatively by crippling the stakeholders in the industry. Poultry farmers are stalling in their various productions because their workers are leaving their jobs because of non-payment of salaries.Farmers are burdened with the reality of a shortage of inputs and so production is not able to go on properly. Feed millers cannot get access to feed ingredients and the few that are available are expensive, making the compounded feed very expensive to farmers. Traders, on the other hand, are not able to source poultry products and so an increase in demand has resulted in the increment inthe price of poultry products. Consumers who are at the end of the value chain can no longer afford the cost and so are now looking for alternatives to poultry products.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science,, 2020

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on fer... more This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on fertility, egg quality, and hatchability of Japanese quail eggs at the early stage of laying. One hundred and ninety-two (192) Japanese layer quails were randomly allocated to four (4) dietary treatments; T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of MOLM partially replacing similar amounts of soybean meal respectively. There were 3 replicates for each treatment with 16 quails in each replicate, i.e. 4 males and 12 females in a completely randomized design. Both feed and water were provided ad-libitum each day. Eggs were collected two times daily (7am and 5pm). A total of 36 quail eggs were randomly selected and used for egg quality analysis, another batch of 480 eggs (40 eggs from each replicate) were incubated for 17 days, the hatched eggs were sorted out from unhatched eggs to determine fertility, hatchability and dead in shell. Unhatched eggs were then broken to check eggs that were unable to pip successfully. Data collected were organized in Excel and then analyzed using General Linear Model as described by Minitab (version 18.1). The means were separated using Tukey's pairwise comparison with probability value set at 5%. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences for fertility, hatchability, and dead in shell and there were no significant (p>0.05) differences in egg quality parameters studied except for yolk colour: as the MOLM levels increased, the yellow yolk colour became deeper. Moringa oleifera leaf meal can be added to Japanese quail diets up to 15% as partial replacement for soybean meal with no adverse effects on egg quality, fertility and hatchability of quail eggs.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science,, 2020

using twelve guinea pigs. The guinea pigs were allotted randomly to four treatments comprising a ... more using twelve guinea pigs. The guinea pigs were allotted randomly to four treatments comprising a mixture of Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) leaves, Cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves and Centrosema (Centrosema pubescens) leaves. The 4 treatments were T1, T2, T3 and T4 with T 1 being the control, composed of Guinea grass leaves, T 2 composed of 50% Guinea grass leaves and 50% Centrosema leaves, T 3 composed of 50% Guinea grass leaves and 50% Cassava leaves and T 4 composed of 50% Guinea grass leaves, 25% Centrosema leaves and 25% Cassava leaves. Each treatment was replicated three times. The feeding trial lasted for a period of 49 days (7 weeks). Feed and water were supplied on ad libitum basis. The weights of the animals were recorded weekly to determine the weight changes of the animals as the experiment progressed. At the end of the experiment, the animals were slaughtered and eviscerated to determine the carcass characteristics. Significant (p<0.05) difference was observed in the total feed intake, where T1 recorded the highest feed intake, followed by T4 then T2 and finally T3. There were no significant (p>0.05 difference) in the initial and final weights, weight gain and feed conversion efficiency across the various treatments. Full stomach, empty stomach and spleen weights recorded significant (p<0.05) difference among the various treatments. In each of these cases, T4 recorded the highest mean weight and it was in the order T1<T2<T3<T4, nevertheless, the remaining carcass traits recorded no significant (p>0.05) differences. The results of the study indicated that the various combinations were acceptable to the animals, did not lead to mortalities and could therefore be used as feeding material for the guinea pigs.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, , 2020

A review was carried out to ascertain the effect of fresh raw quail eggs on the lipid profile and... more A review was carried out to ascertain the effect of fresh raw quail eggs on the lipid profile and blood sugar level of diabetes-induced albino rats. Data were gathered from Google Scholar, Research Gate and Google. A total of 34 articles were selected for evaluation out of 154, which were retrieved and subjected to careful and critical review. All the articles reviewed, indicated a common treatment group (Diabetes induced rats treated with fresh raw quail eggs) and two controls (positive and negative). The positive control involved diabetes induced albino rats not treated with fresh raw quail eggs, the negative control on the other hand involved normal albino rats untreated with fresh quail eggs. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the articles reviewed reported a reduction (p<0.05) in the total cholesterol levels (TC) when the diabetic albino rats were treated with fresh raw quail eggs as compared to the positive control. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the authors had a reduction (p<0.05) in the high density lipoprotein levels (HDLC) for treatment group compared to their positive control counterparts, when they treated the diabetic albino rats with quail eggs. All the articles reviewed reported a decrease (p<0.05) in the Low density lipoprotein (LDLC) among diabetic albino rats treated with fresh raw quail eggs as compared to their positive control counterparts. Seven-five percent (75%) of the articles reported a reduction (p<0.05) in the total triglyceride level (TG) among the diabetic albino rats treated with fresh raw quail eggs as compared to their control counterparts. It was further noticed that, all the articles reviewed, noted a decrease (p<0.05) in the blood glucose level when they treated the diabetic albino rats with fresh raw quail eggs. From the foregoing, it can be established that quail eggs was responsible for the various reductions seen above and so it can be concluded that quail eggs is a potential remedy for Diabetes mellitus.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2020

A five-week experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Ficus exasperata leaf meal (FELM)... more A five-week experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Ficus exasperata leaf meal (FELM) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of three-weeks-old Japanese quails. Ninety-six (96) Japanese layer quails were randomly allocated to four (4) dietary treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% of FELM partially replacing similar amounts of soy-bean meal respectively, and with 3 replicates per treatment. T1 served as the control diet (No FELM). Eight (8) quails were allotted to each replicate under completely randomised design. Growth performance were measured during the feeding trial and afterwards, carcass characteris-tics were evaluated. Data collected were analysed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as de-scribed by Minitab (version 18.1). The means were compared using Tukey’s pairwise comparison with a confidence level of 95%. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the mean daily and total feed intakes, initial weights and final live weight among the various treatments. However, there were significant (p<0.05) differences in the daily and total weight gains across the various treatments, with T1 recording the highest weight gain, followed by T2, T3 and T4. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the mean feed conversion ratio among the treatments, with T4 being a poor converter of feed to gain. The feed cost per kilogram diet and the feed cost per kilo-gram weight gain decreased as the inclusion levels of FELM increased. There were significant (p<0.05) differences in the live, bled and eviscerated weights across the various treatment, with T2 recording the highest weights, followed by T1, T3 and then T4. Shank, drum stick, thigh and breast muscle weights also recorded significant (p<0.05) differences among the various treatment, with a similar trend as mentioned above, T2 recording the highest weights followed by T1, T3 and T4. The remaining carcass parameters recorded no significant differences across the various treat-ments. The results indicate that FELM may be fed to quail birds up to 4% of the diet without any adverse effects on their growth performance and carcass characteristics

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2020

An experiment was conducted with Cobb-500 commercial broiler chicken to investigate the effect of... more An experiment was conducted with Cobb-500 commercial broiler chicken to investigate the effect
of feeding varying levels of Feed mill waste (FMW) on their growth performance and carcass
characteristics. One hundred and forty-four out of a total consignment of one hundred and fifty
broilers were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design.
The dietary treatments were T1, a Control diet with 0% FMW, T2 (5% FMW), T3 (10% FMW) and
T4 (15% FMW). Experimental diets and water were given ad- libitum for a period of five (5) weeks
after three (3) weeks of brooding. Growth performance were measured during the rearing period
and afterwards, carcass characteristics were evaluated. There were no significant difference
(p>0.05) among all the treatments (T1 to T4), for all the growth parameters studied. Numerically,
daily and total feed intake for the control group (T1) was higher than all the other treatment
groups. In terms of the daily and total weight gains, treatment T2, T3 and T4 had numerically
higher mean values than the control group (T1). The trend was the same for FCR. Feed cost/kg
diet and feed cost/kg weight gain decreased as the inclusion levels of FMW increased across the
various treatments from the control group (T1) to T4. There were no mortalities during the experiment.
It was concluded that FMW can be incorporated in broiler diets at an inclusion level of up to
15% without any adverse effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics. The inclusion
of FMW could reduce the feed cost and the cost of producing a kg weight gain.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2019

A six-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM)... more A six-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the growth and laying performance and carcass characteristics of four-week-old Jap-anese quails. One hundred and ninety-two (192) layer Japanese quails were randomly allocated to four (4) dietary treatments; T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% MOLM partially replacing similar amounts of soya bean meal respectively, and with 3 replicates per treatment. T1 served as the control diet (no MOLM). Sixteen (16) quails were allotted per replicate under a completely randomised design. Growth and laying performance were measured during the rearing and laying periods and afterwards, carcass characteristics were evaluated. Data collected were analysed using the general linear model procedure as described by Minitab (version 18.1). The means were compared using Tukey's pairwise comparison with a confidence level of 95%. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the mean weights for the laying and carcass parameters measured. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the mean weight gains among the treatments, with an increase in weight gain from T1(55g) to T3(73g) and a decline in T4(61g). However, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the means of the feed intake as well as their final weights.

Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science, 2019

Entomophagy is widely practised in Ghana. Insects such as termites, ground crickets, locusts, etc... more Entomophagy is widely practised in Ghana. Insects such as termites, ground crickets, locusts, etc. are mostly considered a delicacy among many Ghanaian communities. African palm weevil larvae (APWL) is one of such insects which has attracted public attention. It was revealed in a research that APWL is the most consumed insect in Ghana as compared to the other insects, hence there is the need to assess the possibility of producing it on a large scale. A survey was conducted to assess the marketing potentials of the larvae in the Kumasi Metropolis. Questionnaires consisting of both open and close ended questions were administered to 400 respondents. The results of the study revealed that, majority of the respondents (79%) were aware of the larvae, but it was only a few of them (45%) that had consumed the larvae. The majority who had never consumed the larvae indicated that the worm-like appearance of the larvae put them off as far as consuming the larvae was concerned. It was also revealed that as family size increased, the quantity of larvae that consumers were willing to purchase also increased. The market potential for APWL was empirically estimated at GH¢5,789 per month.