ABSTRACT
A prolonged period without feed access negatively impacts the growth and development of poultry. This study evaluated the effect of early post-hatch feeding times on the growth and carcass performance of Mule ducks reared intensively in the tropics. A total of 48 Mule ducklings were obtained from a local hatchery and assigned in a completely randomized design to 4 treatments based on 4 feeding regimes, (T) as follows: T1 3hrs, T2 24hrs, T3 36hrs and T4 48hrs post-hatch. On day 1 the ducklings were individually weighed, followed by weekly weighing until harvest at 63 days. Feed and feed refusal was measured daily for a period of 63 days. At harvest the body weight at slaughter, eviscerated and hot carcass weight, as well as the initial pH and pH24 of the breast, leg, and thigh quarters was evaluated. Weights of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract were then taken. The feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed intake and meat: skin: bone ratio was calculated. At 0-7 days cumulative feed intake and FCR was influenced by treatment (p=0.022, p=0.026; respectively). Body weight at slaughter ranged from 2969-3382.5g. Treatment did not affect the weights of the bone, fat, muscle and skin, of the breast quarter (p=0.698, p=0.893, p=0.940; respectively). However, weight of the bone for the leg and thigh quarter differed among treatments. A lower pH24 was observed for both breast and leg and thigh quarters. The study suggests that early post-hatch feeding at 3-48hrs does not affect the performance of Mule ducks.(AU)
Subject(s)
Animals , Ducks/growth & development , Animal Feed/analysisABSTRACT
A prolonged period without feed access negatively impacts the growth and development of poultry. This study evaluated the effect of early post-hatch feeding times on the growth and carcass performance of Mule ducks reared intensively in the tropics. A total of 48 Mule ducklings were obtained from a local hatchery and assigned in a completely randomized design to 4 treatments based on 4 feeding regimes, (T) as follows: T1 3hrs, T2 24hrs, T3 36hrs and T4 48hrs post-hatch. On day 1 the ducklings were individually weighed, followed by weekly weighing until harvest at 63 days. Feed and feed refusal was measured daily for a period of 63 days. At harvest the body weight at slaughter, eviscerated and hot carcass weight, as well as the initial pH and pH24 of the breast, leg, and thigh quarters was evaluated. Weights of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract were then taken. The feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed intake and meat: skin: bone ratio was calculated. At 0-7 days cumulative feed intake and FCR was influenced by treatment (p=0.022, p=0.026; respectively). Body weight at slaughter ranged from 2969-3382.5g. Treatment did not affect the weights of the bone, fat, muscle and skin, of the breast quarter (p=0.698, p=0.893, p=0.940; respectively). However, weight of the bone for the leg and thigh quarter differed among treatments. A lower pH24 was observed for both breast and leg and thigh quarters. The study suggests that early post-hatch feeding at 3-48hrs does not affect the performance of Mule ducks.
Subject(s)
Animals , Ducks/growth & development , Animal Feed/analysisABSTRACT
A study of the elderly was carried out in 2 Cornwall County parishes (Hanover and Westmoreland) from June to August, 1987. the health status and general situation of the elderly attending Government Medical Clinics was studied to obrain information to design nutrition education services that met their need. four Health Centres (two Type II and two Type III) were selected by stratified random sampling for the study. The results indicted that more elderly women (71%) than men (29%) used the Primary Health Care Services. Obesity was more common among women (29%) than men (0%). More men (30%) were underweight than women (9%). Food stamps appeared to be the most regular source of income for the elederly. Most of the elderly (92%) felt that they were not in good health. Although they generally had 2 to 3 meals per day, their food intake, particularly of fruits and peas, appeared to be inadequate. The results point clearly to a need to strengthen the education services offered to the elderly attending Government Medical Clinics in Cornwall County, Jamaica