Browsing by Author "Njoka-Njiru, E. N. *"

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Evaluation of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) as Replacent for Maize in the Diet of Growing Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
(2002) Muriu, J. I.; Njoka-Njiru, E. N. *; Tuitoek, J. K.; Nanua, J. K.
Thirty six young New Zealand white rabbits were used in a randomised complete block (RCB) design with a 3×2 factorial treatment experiment to study the suitability of sorghum as substitute for maize in the diet of growing rabbits in Kenya. Six different diets were formulated to contain 35% of one of the three different types of grain (maize, white sorghum or brown sorghum) and one of the two different levels of crude protein (CP) 16 or 18.5% and fed to growing rabbits for a period of six weeks. The tannin content of the grains was 0.05, 0.52 and 5.6% chatechin equivalents for maize, white and brown sorghum respectively. Weaning weight at 35 days of age was used as the blocking criterion at the beginning of the experiment. Results of feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, feed digestibility, as well as the blood parameters, indicated that white sorghum was not significantly different from maize. Animals fed on diets containing brown sorghum had a lower average daily gain (ADG) and a poorer feed conversion efficiency (FCE) (p<0.01) in comparison with those fed on diets containing maize or white sorghum. The 18.5% CP level gave a better FCE (p<0.05) compared with the 16% CP level. However, increasing the level of CP did not improve the utilisation of any of the grains. It was concluded that white sorghum could effectively substitute maize in the diet of growing rabbits. On the other hand, the use of brown sorghum in the diets of growing rabbits may compromise their growth rate. This may be due to the high concentration of tannins in the brown sorghum
Grazing Behaviour of Saanen and Toggenburg Goats in Sub-Humid Tropical Conditions of Kenya
(2001-03-22) Njoka-Njiru, E. N. *; Ojango, J. M.; Ambula, M. K.; Ndirangu, C. M.
The behavior of 6 Toggenburg and 6 Saanen female goats, grazing on natural vegetation in a modified sub-humid tropical environment of Kenya, was studied during the dry (January and February) and wet (April and May) seasons in 1997. The two exotic breads grazed for 12 h daily. Observation on feeding, standing, lying and ruminating was done chronometrically at five minute intervals between 0600 and 1800 h. These grazing times were based on the current practice of small holder farmers. During the dry period, the average feeding standing, lying and ruminating time per 12 h period for Saanens was 5.63, 4.57, 1.80 and 1.50 h respectively while that for Toggenburgs was 7.26, 3.21, 1.53 and 1.96 h, respectively. In the wet (Green) season, the mean feeding, standing, lying and ruminating time per Saanen in both seasons. It was also observed that standing occurred more often in Saanens than the Toggenburgs in the dry season. During the wet period, Saanens ruminated significantly longer than the Toggenburgs. The health status of the animals was determined by analyzing the respiratory frequency, heart rate, rectal temperature, hemoglobin, erythrocytes and leucocytes of the experimental animals. All the clinical and physiological parameters were within the normal physiological range of healthy goats. It was concluded that differences in the grazing behavior of Saanens and Toggenburgs in the modified tropical environment of Kenya, do exist.