The inclusion of traditional plant-based ecto-parasite control methods in primary health care of livestock is increasingly becoming an important intervention for improving livestock productivity in resource-challenged smallholder farming areas. In this study, commonly used plants used for the control of cattle ticks and other pests were identified through a survey in four semi–arid districts of Zimbabwe. A standard structured questionnaire with details of demographics, socioeconomic status of households, livestock parasites, control practices and list of ethnoveterinary plants used was used to interview 233 knowledgeable smallholder farmers in four districts. Focus group discussions with community members further provided insights on how the plants were being used and other issues surrounding ecto-parasite control and indigenous knowledge systems in the study areas. The older generation (>40 years) of the respondents were knowledgeable about ethnoveterinary plants and practices. Overall, 51 plant species were reportedly effective against cattle ticks and other livestock parasites. The most frequently mentioned plants were in descending order, Cissus quadrangularis (30.1%), Lippia javanica (19.6%), Psydrax livida (14.9%) and Aloe sp (14.9%). Most of the plant materials were prepared by crushing and soaking in water and spraying the extract on animals. Despite the knowledge of these useful pesticidal plants, the preferred animal health care for cattle and other highly ranked livestock species is still the use of commercial acaricides. Cattle dipping services were reported sporadic by 48% of the respondents. Traditional knowledge and plants are considered only as an alternative in the absence of conventional synthetic products. Livestock farming communities know of plant species used for livestock ecto-parasite control. The plant species are mostly used to complement commercial products. More work, is required to confirm the acaricidal properties claimed by the farmers in order to optimize and promote sustainable use of these plants.

Behaviour is a good indicator of the well-being of chickens. The objective of the study was to compare foraging behaviour in males and females of three indigenous chicken strains under generally hot free-range conditions. Behavioural activities were monitored in 21-wk-old Potchefstroom Koekoek (PK), Ovambo (OV) and Naked Neck (NN) chickens. Birds were separated by sex and allocated to four pens of Chloris gayana. Three birds per pen were randomly chosen and marked with paint 20 min before observation. Temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated and main effects analysed using the general linear models procedure. Naked Necks spent more time walking than OV and PK. Strain did not affect other behaviours. Females spent more time foraging, while males dominated standing and walking. There was negative correlation between THI and time spent foraging. There was interaction between strain and sex on time spent standing. Foraging and drinking behaviours were more prominent in the morning (07:00 h) and late afternoon (17:00 h) compared to the 12:00-h period, whereas preening and dust-bathing were dominant around mid-day. Strain, sex and THI influence behaviour in free-range chickens. Breeding programmes should be cognizant of these attributes in order to produce hardier birds in view of worsening climatic uncertainties.

Meat and fat yield influence the profitability of modern commercial poultry production. This study investigated the effect of strain, sex and rearing system on carcass and fat yields of 3 slow-growing chicken strains. Two hundred and eighty-eight Potchefstroom Koekoek, Ovambo and Naked Neck chickens, weighing 1710 ± 308.8 g, were allocated to 4 free-range pens and 4 housed pens. Body (BW), carcass (CW), dressed (DW), cut, giblet, fat pad (AFP) weights were determined after 4 weeks. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted in SAS. Strain influenced (P less than 0.05) thigh, neck and giblet weight. Males were heavier (P less than 0.05), yielding heavier cuts and pancreases but lighter AFP than females. Ovambos yielded the heaviest portions among the 3 strains. Free-range birds experienced crop, gizzard hypertrophy and pancreatic atrophy. Further research could focus on fatty acid composition of meat from free-range systems to establish potential implications on heart-related health conditions.

The effects of phytase and tannase enzyme treatment of sorghum-based broiler diets on ileal villi characteristics were evaluated in Cobb 500 broilers. A total of three sorghum levels, 0, 50, and 100%, with 4 enzyme levels; 0, 5% phytase, 5% tannase and 5% phytase+tannase combination were used to develop 12 different dietary treatments. Three hundred and sixty broilers were randomly allocated to the 12 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design experiment. On day 42, two birds from each replicate were randomly selected and slaughtered for ileal villi morphometry analyses. A 2cm tissue sample of the ileum was cut and prepared for histological analyses. Villus height and width, muscularis externa thickness, and crypt depth were measured on a light microscope using a calibrated eyepiece graticule. The total villi surface area was calculated, which indicates the digestive and absorptive capacity of the ileum. The General Linear Models (GLM) procedure of the Statistical Analysis System ver 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., 2011) was used to analyse the data. All tests were performed at p < 0.05 significance. Villus height, width, and muscularis externa thickness significantly increased with increasing levels of sorghum in the diet (p<0.001). Birds fed complete sorghum diets supplemented with phytase enzyme had the longest villi (p<0.001). The 0% and 100% sorghum levels exhibited comparable crypt depth. Treatment significantly affected the apparent villi surface area (p<0.0001). The apparent villi surface area increased with increasing sorghum inclusion. Birds fed a complete sorghum diet supplemented with phytase had the highest villi surface area (15.48±0.241 mm). It can be concluded that phytase and tannase can be added to complete sorghum broiler diets without compromising ileal villi integrity. Hence, we recommend the addition of phytase and tannase in sorghum-based broiler diets to counteract the effects of sorghum antinutrients.