African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease with high mortality rates, vectored by the Culicoides midge and affecting members of the Equidae family. AHS is endemic to South Africa, and, as a result, affects export and international competitiveness in equine trade, and impacts significantly on the South African racehorse and performance horse industries. AHS also has devastating consequences for rural and subsistence equine ownership. The protocol developed in this dissertation has the potential to serotype and confirm the AHS virus within a few hours at significantly less cost than current methods. It will ease the financial and time constraints of studying an outbreak in real time and has the potential to solve many of the unknown factors surrounding AHS, particularly and most importantly, the role that each serotype plays in outbreaks and the form of the disease contracted by horses. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Feeding of animal has become increasingly a big challenge for smallholder farmers in the dry season in most of Sahelian countries. Sheep has an important role in social and economical activity of smallholder farmers. Millet stover (MS) and groundnut haulms (GH) are the main crop residues used. Among concentrates, millet bran (MB) and wheat bran (WB) are mostly used by smallholder farmers in feeding animals. However, these crop residues and concentrates are used inadequately. MS is a poor quality roughage diet, legume residues such as GH and brans are rich in nutritive value. The general objective of this study was to develop a feeding technology transferable to smallholder farmers by supplementing MS with GH, MB and WB to increase the growth performance of sheep during the dry season. The first study evaluated the effect of chopping millet stover (Pennisetum glaucum L. R. Br.) in sheep feeding and the degradability in sacco of feeds. Two Holstein cows were used to determine the degradability in sacco of feeds. The potential dry matter degradability (g/kg) were 846, 809, 730, 410, 550 and 370 for millet bran (MB), wheat bran (WB), groundnut haulms (GH), millet stover, leaves plus sheath and stems of MS respectively. The potential nitrogen degradability (g/kg) of MB, WB and GH were 865, 908 and 817 respectively. The nitrogen content was 7.4, 15.1, 22.0 and 26.2 g/kg for MS, GH, millet bran and wheat bran respectively. The effects of chopping millet stover (MS) on dry matter intake in Oudah bicolor sheep were studied in Maradi, Niger. Four treatments were T0 (unchopped MS), T1 (MS chopped, 50 cm), T2 (MS chopped, 25 cm) and T3 (MS chopped, 10 cm). A randomized block design was applied on 36 sheep, implying 9 sheep per treatment (T0, T1, T2 and T3). The treatment T2 or 25 cm chopping size gave the best MS intake of 560 g/day. The second study evaluated the effects of supplementing millet stover (MS) with groundnut haulms (GH), millet bran (MB) and wheat bran (WB). These supplements can improve the feed value of MS and promote live weight gain of sheep in the dry season. The purpose of this study was to develop a feeding technology transferable to smallholder farmers by supplementing MS. The study was conducted in two successive phases. The phase 1 of 66 days, evaluated the effect of GH, MB and WB supplementations on MS intake and growth performance of sheep, the phase 2 of 14 days, assessed the effect of GH, MB and WB supplementations on intake and digestibility of MS. Six treatments were constituted, namely, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 formed by four levels of GH (0, 200, 400, 600g) and two others (600g GH + 100g MB) and (600g GH + 75 g WB) respectively. A randomized block design was applied on 36 Oudah bicolor sheep, implying 6 male lambs per treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). The GH supplementation levels had a linear effect (P<0.001) on dry matter intake (DMI) of MS, cell wall and nitrogen. Millet stover intake (MSI) decreased significantly with increasing level of GH. However the total dry matter intake (TDMI) significantly increased with GH levels. MB increased (P<0.05) both TDMI, TOMI and nitrogen intake (NI), (P<0.001). WB increased MSI (P<0.05), TDMI and TOMI (P<0.01), NI (P<0.001) and cell wall intakes. GH supplementation had both a linear and quadratic effect on DM digestibility of MS, cell wall and nitrogen digestibility. GH had a linear and significant effect (P<0.001) on live weight gain (LWG) and efficiency. The maximum average daily gain (80.5 g/day) was obtained with treatment 6 followed by the treatment 5 (68 g/day). The animals of treatment 1 received MS stover alone and lost their weight (-19.13 g/day). It is concluded that groundnut haulms, millet bran and wheat bran had good nutritive value whereas millet stover had low nutritive value. The 25 cm chopping size was the one to propose to smallholder farmers. The supplementation of MS as the basal diet with GH and brans enhanced sheep production through improvements in digestibility and intakes of TDM, TOM, cell wall and nitrogen. Key words: Millet stover; groundnut haulms; millet bran; wheat bran, chopping; intake; degradability; growth performance; Oudah bicolor sheep. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Fertility of Broiler Breeders (BBs) has been researched over many years with inconclusive findings. Genetic selection and improvements in growth traits have had negative effects on fertility of BB. One explanation is related to overweight birds, resulting in the inability of birds to copulate successfully, with no cloacal contact. The requirements of CP for egg production in BB females have been quantified, but there is less literature on how CP affects fertility in male BBs. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of feeding BB males different dietary CP intakes (10.4, 12.4, 14.2, 17.8, 19.3 and 20.1 g CP/bird/day) on fertility in flocks with natural mating and in birds that were artificially inseminated (AI). Results showed that birds consuming 10.4 and 12.4 g CP/bird/day resulted in weight loss (between 24.9 and 23.6% and 26.5 and 22.4% below target BW) over the 29 weeks of the experimental period in both natural mating and individual pens respectively. Intakes of higher protein content (17.8- 20.1 g CP/bird/day) however resulted in BW gain over the experimental period. Hatch percentage across all CP intakes throughout the duration of the study was found to be high, ranging between 75- 100 and 80-95 % in AI and naturally mated birds respectively, and not affected by CP intakes. Similar results for predicted fertility using the methods published by Brillard & Antoine (1990) and Wishart (1997) were found; however Brillard & Antoine (1990) is more lenient requiring less outer perivitelline layer (OPVL) sperm/mm2 to pronounce an egg fertile. Improved fertility predictions could have been made by using examination of inner perivitelline layer (IVPL). There was a tendency for a superior response in predicted fertility from birds with a protein intake of 14.2 g CP/bird/day. This intake also least affected the BW of the male birds and thus 14.2 g CP/bird/day can be recommended for optimal BB male performance. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.