Ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture is vital as the global population expands, leading to increased protein demand. However, competitive demand for feed ingredients such as maize and soybeans has driven up costs. As a result, alternative feed sources, including Jackfruit by-products like seeds, have been explored. This study aimed to assess the effects of incorporating raw jackfruit seedmeal (JSM) into the diet of guinea fowl keets, specifically regarding growth performance, carcass yield, organ weights, and economic production. The seven-week study involved 120 keets divided into different treatments, each replicated three times. Treatments 2, 3, and 4 included JSM at 10%, 15%, and 20%, respectively, while treatment one served as the control without JSM. Increasing the level of JSM resulted in a consistent decline in all relevant indicators, as observed through proximate analysis. Treatment four, which included 20% JSM, exhibited the best performance in terms of final weight (745g) and daily weight gain (15g). Notably, the gizzard was the most significant parameter among carcass features, with treatment four showing the highest value (3.95%), while the control diet had the lowest value (2.83%). Diets containing 15% and 20% JSM had the most favorable outcomes in terms of feed cost per weight gain, with the 20% JSM diet demonstrating the highest gross margin and revenue. Importantly, dietary inclusion of JSM did not significantly impact the performance of guinea fowl keets, and incorporating 20% JSM into their diet resulted in a significant increase in productivity and feed utilization.

This study evaluated the impact of incorporating Zootech feed fortifier mix into a graded ration of sawdust and palm kernel cake (PKC); a high fibre diet, on the growth performance, carcass, organoleptic, and bio-economics of turkey birds. This eight-week feeding trial involved 320 unsexed indigenous strains of turkey poults brooded in deep litter and assigned to four dietary treatments (T1, T2, T3, and T4). The experimental design involved four treatments with four replicates, with a total of twenty birds per replicate. The treatment diets/groups were as follows: T1 (farmer’s practice turkey diet/standard turkey feed), T2 (5% sawdust/18% PKC), T3 (10% sawdust/13% PKC), and T4 (15% sawdust/8% PKC). It was revealed from this study that turkeys fed T4 diets exhibited significantly higher differences (p < 0.01) in final weight gain and average daily weight gain compared to other treatments. At the same time, T1 (control) had the lowest weight gain. Average daily feed intake had a significantly higher difference (p < 0.01) in turkeys fed T4 diets, with the lowest intake in the control group. Turkeys fed T4 and control diets achieved the best feed conversion ratio, while T2 and T3 groups were less efficient. Carcass traits and internal organ proportions were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in turkeys fed T4 diets. The organoleptic assessment indicated superior meat quality (p < 0.05) in treatment four groups . Economic analysis revealed significantly lower costs per kilogram of feed and total feed consumed in T2, T3, and T4 groups compared to the control (p < 0.05) groups. In summary, incorporating a Zootech feed fortifier into a sawdust/palm kernel diet positively influenced turkey growth, feed efficiency, carcass traits, tastes, and economic viability.

In intensive poultry production, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria, addressing the issues of agricultural waste and feed costs for farmers is crucial. This study explores a solution by incorporating cassava waste into broiler chicken diets. The research examines its effects on economic factors, growth performance, carcass yield, and agricultural waste utilization over 8 weeks. Three hundred broiler chickens were divided into three groups: a control group without cassava waste and two treatment groups with 10% and 15% cassava waste inclusion. Results showed that a 10% inclusion improved key performance indicators such as weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and carcass weight, while a 15% inclusion was less efficient than the control. Economically, diets with 10% and 15% cassava tuber waste were more cost‐effective than the control, emphasizing the economic benefits of cassava‐based diets for broiler chickens, and offering a sustainable, cost‐efficient feeding option for poultry farmers.

This study investigated the dietary impact of citric acid monohydrate (CAM) on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, intestinal histomorphology, and caecal microbial count in broiler chickens. 300 day-old male Arbor Acres chicks were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 12 birds each in a completely randomised design for a 49-day study. The treatment groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% CAM, respectively. During the starter phase, CAM supplementation linearly improved final body weight (BW; p = 0.007), average daily gain (ADG; p = 0.004), and feed conversion ratio (FCR; p = 0.010), without significantly affecting average daily feed intake (ADFI). Similarly, during the finisher phase and the overall phase, CAM enhanced final BW, ADG, and FCR. ADFI decreased in birds fed CAM during the finisher phase (p < 0.05); however, no significant effect was observed on overall ADFI (p > 0.05). Although carcass traits were unaffected (p > 0.05), CAM improved small intestine length and weight (p < 0.001). Haematological parameters were unaffected except for neutrophils. Serum proteins were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in broilers that received CAM, with broiler birds fed 2.0% CAM having the highest values compared to other treatment groups. Serum enzymes decreased in broilers fed CAM. Compared with the control group, the treatment groups presented lower total cholesterol and urea levels. Except for calcium and phosphorus, the serum electrolytes did not differ (p > 0.05). Broilers fed CAM improved total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, with decreased malondialdehyde. CAM improved small intestine histomorphological traits (villi height, crypt depth, villi width, epithelial thickness, and muscularis thickness) across the treatment groups. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in Lactobacillus counts, alongside reduced total viable counts, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli, was observed in the caecum of broilers fed CAM. Conclusively, dietary supplementation with CAM at 2.0% enhanced growth performance, gut health, and positively influenced health status in broiler chickens.

This study investigated the impact of feeding Red Sokoto bucks in an intensive management system with fermented and unfermented sawdusts derived from fish pond wastewater and compared its effects on goats. The research focused on evaluating the proximate composition, mineral analysis, growth performance, and nutrient efficiency of the bucks under different dietary treatments and lasted for nine weeks. Dietary treatments (T1, T2, and T3) were administered to 486 bucks, weighing between 12 to 14 kg, with each treatment replicated six times. T1 contained 40% untreated sawdust, T2 had 40% treated sawdust, and T3 included 70% treated sawdust. The study assessed the proximate composition, mineral analysis, and nutrient efficiencies of these sawdusts as well as the growth performance of goats fed these materials. Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variances, revealing significant differences (p<0.05) and (p<0.01) among the treatments. Mineral analysis confirmed safe levels for all dietary treatments. Notably, bucks fed with dietary two (40% treated sawdust) outperformed other groups (p<0.05). This study suggests that incorporating 40% fish pond wastewater effluent-treated sawdust in Red Sokoto buck diets can optimize performance while effectively managing organic solid waste and fish pond effluents. This approach enhances the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of ruminant feeds, promoting sustainability and resource utilization in livestock farming.