ABSTRACT
Abstract: This present investigation aims to evaluate the effect of dietary protein levels on growth performance and some blood biochemical composition of male Japanese quail. Three hundred, three week old apparently healthy male Japanese quail were used in this experiment. The birds were randomly allocated into 5 groups with 3 replicates of 20 birds for 21 days of experimental period and placed in cages, measuring 100 cm (length) x100 cm (width) x 80 cm (height). Group A was fed on diet 1 containing 18% crude protein, Group B was fed on diet 2 containing 20% crude protein, Group C was fed on diet 3 containing 22% crude protein, Group D was fed on diet 4 containing 24% crude protein and Group E was fed on diet 5containing 26% crude protein. All groups were subjected to similar management practices. Results showed that growth performance parameters significantly improved as dietary crude protein level increased. However dietary protein level beyond 22% has no beneficial effect on growth. Biochemical examination results demonstrated that the crude protein level in diet was not significantly affected the blood glucose, cholesterol, bilirubin, calcium, phosphorus and liver enzyme activities (ASAT and ALT). However, we noticed a significant effect (P<0.05) about Total protein, Albumin, Urea, Triglycerides, Creatinine and Uric acid. Despite the variation of these parameters, they remain within the normal range proposed by [28]. Therefore, dietary protein levels not affected quail health. The crude protein requirement for Japanese quail from 21 to 42 days old is 22%.

ABSTRACT
This study was conducted on 160 poultry farmers in Sokoto state, Nigeria with the use of questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude and compliance of poultry workers with preventive measures for poultry diseases in six Local Government Areas of the State. Information obtained from respondents showed that about 82.5% knows about poultry disease with 3.3% through newspaper, 1.5% television, 1.5% friends and 84.9% experience. The most common poultry disease known was Newcastle disease (41%) followed by Gumboro (40%) and coccidiosis (31.9%) among others. Also 60.6% of the respondents have heard about poultry disease outbreak with Avian Influenza having the highest frequency of 63.9%. Only 39.4% had ever experience an outbreak on their farm while 32.5% had never experienced it. Out of all the respondents 46.3% received lectures or training on poultry diseases often and 30% do not. Disease prevention methods employed in both commercial farms and backyard ones includes vaccination (82%), medication (71%), sanitation (43%), disinfection (10.6%), use of foot dip (60.6%), use of farm personnel clothing (59.4%), isolation of sick birds (88.1%). 48.1% of the farmers had their farms free of wild birds (vectors) while the rest had invasions. Twenty-one point nine per cent of the respondents disposed carcasses in refuse dump while 31.9% preferred to bury poultry carcasses. Finally, it was concluded that, the low level of commercial poultry production in the study area might be due to poor practices by the farmers. So, it is recommended that, government should put program about training poultry farmers on biosecurity, disease prevention and adoption of modern husbandry practices suitable for both commercial poultry production system and backyard poultry production system.

ABSTRACT
A total of 200 sera samples were collected from Guinea fowl (100) and Pigeons (100) and subjected to Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Out of these, 99 samples (49.5%) were found positive for MG antibodies. The prevalence of MG infection was 60% in Guinea fowl and 39% in Pigeons. In Guinea fowls the males has a slightly high prevalence of 61.7% compared to the females with a prevalence rate of 57.5%. This study revealed that Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection is prevalent and widespread in both Guinea fowls and Pigeons within Sokoto metropolis. In Nigeria and most part of Africa these two species are usually reared in the same households with the local chickens hence may serve as potential source of infection to them resulting in a more severe disease in the chicken population.

ABSTRACT
The study was undertaken to determine the presence and concentration of some heavy metals in selected tissues of cattle slaughtered from southern agricultural zone of Nasarawa state using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Fifty samples comprising 10 each of liver, kidney, skin, intestine and muscle were collected and analyzed for the presence of Ni, Cr, Pb, Cu and Cd. Male and female cattle of two age categories (Young and Older) were sampled for the study. The mean concentration of Ni, Pb, Cu and Cd in all the sampled tissues were generally low and within the permissible limit. High levels of Cr was detected in all samples with mean concentration of 3.9926 mg/kg, 2.4440 mg/kg, 2.9909 mg/kg, 2.1688 mg/kg and 4.0100 mg/kg in intestine, kidney, liver, muscle and skin respectively. There exist significant difference (P< 0.05) in the mean concentration of Ni and Cu between young and older cattle. Higher levels of Cr, Pb and Cd was detected in the tissues of female animal than male. The result from this study indicates that cattle slaughtered from the study area are free from Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb residues, but contained high levels of Cr. Public and private sector should establish cattle ranches so as to reduce the possibility of grazing cattle in heavy metal contaminated feed and pasture.

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine effect of mixed acidifier supplementation as feed additive on small intestinal morphology in laying duck. The acidifier used was in 2 forms, namely formic and fumaric acids and mixed at ratio of 1:1. This research method used in vivo experiment by using Completely Randomized Design (CRD). One hundred and fifty female ducks aged 50 weeks were randomly distributed into 5 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments consisted of T0-= basal feed/control. T0+= basal feed with addition of Bacitracin antibiotic 0.1%. T1= basal feed + 0.1% mixture of formic and fumaric acids at ratio of 1:1, T2= basal feed + 0.2% mixture of formic and fumaric acid at rasio 1:1, and T3= basal feed + 0.3% mixture of formic and fumaric acids at ratio of 1:1. The variables observed were intestinal morphology of ileum consisting of villus number, villus height, crypt depth, basal width, apical width, and villus surface area. The results showed that there were significant effects (P>0.05) in the villus height and apical width and highly significant effects (P>0.01) in the total villus number. On the other hand, treatments showed no difference effect (P<0.05) on crypt depth, basal width and surface area. In conclusion, the acidifier treatment improves intestinal morphology, especially when formic and fumaric acid mixture were supplemented at 0.1%.

ABSTRACT
An ethnobotanical survey in Kyanamukaaka Sub-county, Masaka District was carried out to document medicinal plants used to cure helminths and other different ailments of cattle. Information on local plants used for curing helminths and other cattle diseases was obtained purposively using structured questionnaires, personal observations, interviews of herdsmen, herbalists, and farmers. Twenty-four (24) medicinal plant species used to treat helminthosis belonging to 13 families were mentioned. Euphorbiaceae being the most used (21%) family, and Fabaceae (17%) followed by Solanaceae (13%), Verbenaceae, Caparicacea, Gramineae, Phytolacaceae, Moringaceae, Lamiaceae were among the least used medicinal plants families with (4%) each. Leaves were the most used anthelmintic medicinal plant parts (46%). Ethnoveterinary medicine practices involved the use of plants as remedies collected specifically from the bush (34.9%), majority of which were herbs (33%) prepared mainly by maceration (59%) and the oral route accounted for (92%) then topical/ocular route 8% as means of administration of the anthelmintic remedies. Dosage administration varied among different remedy users. For the other ailments twenty-five (25) medicinal plants were reported, East Coast fever, trypanosomiasis, and fever were among mentioned other diseases. The research study contributes to the native knowledge of medicinal plants practiced among different communities, hence assisting in knowledge and practice preservation, which remain mostly with elderly traditional practitioners. However, there is a need for conservation, standardization of dosages, determination of the chemical composition, to be potential candidates for the development of commercial drugs.

ABSTRACT
This study was aimed at determining the effects of the acetone extract of the Chromoleana odorata leaves on male fertility by evaluating some andrological and haematological parameters of the Wistar rat. A total of 20 sexually male Albino haematological Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. The rats in group A (Control) were administered with 1ml of distilled water, while rats in groups B, C, and D were administered with the extract of 100, 200 and 500 mg per Kg body weight, respectively, once daily for 28days. The result revealed that the rats in the control group (distilled water) result had significantly higher (p<0.05) sperm concentration (72.00 ± 2.83 + 106cell/ml) compared to group B (65.10 ± 2.63 + 106 cell/ml), group C (53.40 ± 3.45 + 10 6 cell/ml) and group D 42.75 ± 2.39 + 106 cell/ml treated with 500mg/kg with significant decrease in sperm concentration with increase in extract dosage. The rat in group A (control) had significantly higher (p<0.05) sperm viability percentage (96.45 ± 0.60) which when compared to group B which has the highest percentage, (92.43 ± 0.55), then a little decrease in group C (80.45 ± 3.75) and group D which has the lowest percentage (77.94 ± 2.56). The sperm motility at the control group (A) (98.53 ± 4.32) is high compared to the other group B, C and D, (95.48 ± 3.83), (83.73 ± 2.94), (75.75 ± 3.63) respectively. The pH value of the semen which vary from the control group (7.14 ± 0.16) to group B which is a little high (7.20 ± 0.13) and group C 7.19 ± 0.15, then group D which has the highest pH value 7.23 ± 0.17.There is significant increase in abnormal sperm morphology with the corresponding increase in the dosage of the extract compared across the groups. The results showed that there was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the levels of Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb),white blood cell(WBC), red blood cell(RBC), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), lymphocyte, monocytes, platelets and eosino