CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The increase in price of feed ingredients in developing countries has greatly reduced the rate of expansion of the poultry industry (Ogunfowora, 1984) and the protein intake of Nigerians has been on a decline as a result of the ever increasing population. Feed is one of the most expensive energy feed ingredient item in poultry production, responsible for between 60-80% of total cost of production (Bamgbose et al., 2005). The use of maize in livestock diets and its use as food by human as well as its use as an alternative fuel ethanol production have increased the demand for maize, thereby necessitating the exploration of other energy sources for livestock diets (Agbabiaka L.A. 2012). This competition that exists between human and animals has brought about limited availability of maize, thus increasing the price and scarcity. This has also necessitated research into non-conventional energy ingredients that would replace maize without compromising the growth efficiency, economic production and carcass quality of the birds.
Poultry production, especially the broiler chicken remains one of the veritable ways of achieving sustainable and rapid production of high quality protein to meet the increasing demand of the Nigerian teeming populace (Obidinma, 2009) due to short generation interval of broiler chicken (Nkwocha, et al., 2014
However the present reality in third world countries source for alternative energy sources to cereal ingredients has necessitated the need to investigate the potentials of some other energy feed stuffs such as tiger-nut that are cheap and readily available with less competition with human and beer brewing industries compared to maize in livestock nutrient. This will reduce the cost of feed and animal products such as meat and egg among others for Nigerian populace.
Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) is one of the underutilized crops of the family Cyperaceae, which produces rhizomes from the base and tubers that are somewhat spherical. According to Sanchez-Zapata et al., (2012), tiger nut is an edible perennial grass-like plant native to the ‘old world’ (consists of Europe, Asia and Africa, regarded collectively as the part of the world known to Europeans before Europe contacts with the Americans), and is a lesser-known vegetable that produces sweet nut-like tubers known as ‘earth almond’. It is often cultivated for its nutritive edible nuts and high content of soluble glucose of 21% (Bamishaiye et al., 2010).
In spite of the numerous health benefits of tiger nut, its potentials and prospects as energy source for poultry and livestock production has not been delve into extensively (Oladeleet al., 2010). It was against this backdrop that this study was embarked upon to elucidate the prospect of feeding graded levels of tiger nut seedmeal to the diet of broiler birds to replace maize
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Modern livestock production is faced with the challenges ofproducing high quality animal protein at low prices; there has also been an increase in the prices of conventional protein feedstuffs due to competition among ingredients used in the manufacture of animal feed. There is consequently a great need for alternatives that can supply in high demand for such ingredients, in particular for soya bean meal (Chisoro, 2015).Animal protein intake is low indeveloping countries, Nigeria as case study (Barwa, 2009) and one of the ways of making protein available is by the use of some leafs, trees and seeds that are of high nutritional properties and beneficial when incorporated into livestockfeed.
Agriculturists and most financial institutions are interested in ventures that will bring maximum returns on investment within a reasonably short period. This results in a short fall on the forestry sub-sector because trees are known to have a long gestation period (A major shortfall of the forestry sector in Nigeria). The forester needs to work at utilizing the rejected and unproductive lands for tree growth and at the same time work at developing tree crops that could adapt to harsh soil and climatic conditionsfor poultry seasoning. This in the long run will help in revitalizing the land for growth performance of broiler chicks fed with tiger nuts in Nigeria.
1.3 Justification of the tudy
Success with growing trees on rejected/unproductive lands will ultimately result in utilization of such lands, leading to reclamation. It will reduce land hunger and conflict; promote private / individual poultry practices in Nigeria. Making use of such tiger nuts will make poultry business attractive.
This will increase the production of the marginal food proteins, improve the conservation of tiger nuts and ameliorate the hostile between poultry and human consumption within the area. It will also provide baseline information for further research.
Perennial trees from the forest could be used to remediate soil salinity since their roots can stand into the tiger nuts as an alternative to chicken feeding.
The society will benefit from the result of this research as more land will be available for otherusers.
Objectives of the Study
The study examines the response of Growth performance of broiler chicks fed with Tiger specie
Specific Objectives
(i). To determine the salinity and hormonal levels suitable for the germination of the tiger nuts(grasses species).
(iii). To determine the effect of hormones on the early growth performance of broiler chicks feeding.
1.5 Scope of the study
This research will investigate Growth performance of broiler chicks fed with Tiger nuts in Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 PoultryFarming
Poultry are domesticated birds kept for meat, table egg or fertile egg production. They can be raised using extensive, semi-intensive or intensive management systems. Whichever system that is adopted, poultry rearing serves as a good subsidiary occupation that supplements the income of smallholder farm families and rural households in most developing countries (Anang, Yeboah and Agbolosu, 2013). According to the authors, greater proportion of poultry production in Nigeria is still at the subsistence level and managed by backyard poultry farmers. However, Ekunwe, Soniregun and Oyedeji (2006) noted that poultry production has assumed an important role with enormous potentials for rapid economic growth in Nigeria. This was in line with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) (2010) which reported that poultry industry in Nigeria has witnessed a great leap in the population of birds as well as poultry establishments. According to NBS, there was an upward trend in the population of birds from 158,216,684 in 2006 to 166,127,481 in 2007, representing an increase of 2.35 percent. In 2010, the figure rose to 192,313,325 or 7.72 percent compared to 2006. This signifies that Nigeria is making significant positive shift in poultry production to feed the population. The types of poultry that are commonly reared in Nigeria are chickens, ducks, guinea fowls, turkeys, pigeons, quail and more recently ostriches. Those that are of commercial or economic importance are the fowls, guinea fowls, and turkeys, amongst which fowls predominate (Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO, 2006a).
Poultry farming is an important agribusiness enterprise that has a great potential for providing additional income to farming communities and educated unemployed persons. In addition to its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provision of employment opportunities, poultry production is a major source of protein supply to the increasing population of the country (Ohajianya, Mgbada, Onu, Enyia, Ukoha, Chendo and Ibeji, 2013). Though poultry production is an important agribusiness, the authors noted that it is faced with a lot of problems. The authors outlined the problems of poultry production in Nigeria to include low capital base, ineffective management, technical inefficiency, economic inefficiency, diseases and parasites, poor housing, high cost of feeds, poor quality of feeds, poor quality day old chicks, inadequate extension and training, among others. Some poultry businesses, both commercial and non-commercial, find it difficult to cope due to these enormous challenges in the production systems.
There are two distinct poultry production systems in Nigeria: the commercial poultry production and rural poultry production (Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO, 2006a). Food and Agricultural Organisation stated that the commercial system is capital and labour intensive and demands a high level of input and technology while rural poultry production is by convention a subsistence system which comprises stock of non-standard breeds or mixed strains, types and ages. It is usually small-scaled, associated with household or grassroots tenure and little or no veterinary inputs.
Consequently, many people in Nigeria keep poultry as a family business enterprise. Family poultry according to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) (2014) encompasses the wide variety of small-scale poultry production systems found in rural, urban and semi-urban areas of developing countries. It is a production system that is practised by individual families as a means of obtaining food security, income and gainful employment. Family poultry production can be categorized as extensive scavenging, semi-intensive and small-scale intensive (FAO, 2014). The conditions and requirements of these systems and the resulting performance differ significantly, as a result of the type of genetic resource used, feeding practices, prevalence of diseases, prevention and control of diseases, the management of flocks and the interactions among these factors. The main outputs from family poultry production are food for home consumption, either in the form of poultry meat or eggs, and income from the sale of these products. Poultry raised for meat production is called broilers while the poultry for table egg production is termed layers. Layers in Nigeria are reared under free range, deep litter system or battery cage system, with battery cage system being more prominent. Management in terms of feeding, vaccination, medication, egg collection, control of cannibalism, among others, is more efficient in battery cage system. However, this system is capital intensive and does not allow the hens to move around. Broilers are not reared in battery cage system to avoid injury of the legs.
Broilers are chickens kept for meat production. They are commonly reared in litter system. Broilers used in intensive system are of strains that have been bred to be very fast growing in order to gain weight quickly (Compassion in World Farming, 2013). Generally, poultry keeping requires enough and appropriate equipment for proper management.
Modern houses are fully automated, with fans linked to sensors to maintain the required environment (Glatz and Pym, 2006). According the authors, some commercial operators use computerized systems for the remote checking of settings in houses, and forced-air furnaces as the main method of providing heat to young chicks. The web-based application can be used to monitor the growth of chicken based on the data given (Purnomo, Somya and Ardaneswari, 2014). Electronic feeding system is capable of dispensing more feed inside the feeding trough by sensing the feed level as the level reduces and this allows for reduced manual labour expended in the poultry farms with corresponding increase in cost benefit and high profit yield (Olaniyi, Salami, Adewumi and Ajibola, 2014). Correct air distribution can be achieved using negative pressure ventilation system (Glatz and Pym, 2006). According to the authors, when chicks are very young, or in colder climates, the air from the inlets should be directed towards the roof, to mix with the air there and circulate throughout the house while in older birds and in warmer temperatures, the incoming air is directed down towards the birds, and helps to keep them cool. Evaporative cooling pads can be placed in the air inlets to keep birds cool in the hot weather. According to Ramdurge and Patil (2016), temperature, humidity and ammonia concentration of surrounding environment are measured with the help of developed node. The authors stated that water management can be maintained with the help of level measurement circuit, light detection circuit as well helps to control illumination system of poultry farms while the GSM module is provided to send current status of broiler house to farmers on mobile phones. Artificial incubation and hatching of poultry eggs using incubators where temperature, humidity, air flow and egg turning are electrically controlled to replaced natural incubation and hatching. In natural incubation and hatching of eggs according to Boopathy, Satheesh, Muhamed and Dinesh (2014), hens sometimes break eggs, occasionally quit and get off nest, sit on a small number of eggs at a time, and can transmit diseases to the chicks. The authors noted that heavy poultry industries adopt incubators to hatch huge number of poultry eggs into chicks that can be reared to produce meat and eggs for food security.
Food security is the situation where all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (World Food Summit 1996 in FAO, 2008a). Food security is the ability of people to secure adequate food (Toit, 2011). Food security according to De Muro and Mazziotta (2011) consists of four essential parts and include food availability, access, utilization and stability. Food availability is the presence of sufficient quantities of food at appropriate quality, supplied through domestic production or imports (including food aid) while food access relates to the access by individuals to adequate resources for acquiring appropriate food for a nutritious diet (FAO, 2006b). Food utilization is commonly understood as the way the body makes the most of various nutrients in the food (FAO, 2008a). FAO emphasized that sufficient energy and nutrient intake by individuals is the result of good care and feeding practices, food preparation, diversity of the diets and intra-household distribution of food. Stability is the ability of a population, households, or individuals to have access to adequate food at all times (FAO, 2006b). Therefore, stability refers to both the availability and access dimensions of food security. Availability and access of poultry meat and eggs can be promoted by the management of poultry farms through the application of electronic facilities. Computerization of operations in poultry industry ensures higher quantity and quality of poultry products.
