The efficacy of an enzyme preparation added to barley and rye-based diets given to broiler chickens and containing both β-glucanase and arabinoxylanase activities, was investigated and compared with a well characterized commercial enzyme preparation containing predominantly P-glucanase activity.

Both enzyme preparations significantly improved body weight, cumulative food intake and food conversion efficiency for chickens given both barley- and rye-based diets. For the barley-fed chickens, on average a notable increase in body weight of 171 g at day 13 and 477 g at day 24 was noted, for both enzyme preparations. However, the preparation containing high amounts of both β-glucanase and arabinoxylanase activities was more effective in reducing the incidence of sticky droppings for rye-fed chickens, and, in comparison with previously published data, gave an optimal response at a lower supplementation rate. The results indicate that it is possible to reduce the protein content in enzyme-supplemented broiler chicken diets.

Shugor, Dubasi and Watish subtypes of Sudan Desert sheep were evaluated on the basis of three productivity indices: (I) weight of lamb weaned per ewe per year; (II) weight weaned per kg ewe per year; and (III) weight weaned per kg0·75 ewe per year. Components used to construct the indices were litter weight at 150 days, parturition interval, survival to 150 days and ewe post-partum weight. There were differences among subtypes in all components but, because of interactions among them, there were no differences in the indices. The indices were 18·5 kg, 461 g and 1·25 kg for I, II and III respectively. Other studies on Sudan Desert and other types of African sheep with similar mature weights have generally shown better results. Suggestions for improving productivity are made.

The effects of treating adult red deer hinds nutritional demands to coincide better with and stags with exogenous melatonin on the food production on improved pastures. One calving season in hinds were evaluated in a 2 such method has been the administration of × 2 factorial experiment. Treated stags were implanted with melatonin monthly beginning in December and hinds post calving in January, Melatonin advanced the timing of rutting behaviour in both treated stags. Calving date was significantly influenced by melatonin treatment of hinds (a mean 10-day advancement; P < 0·01) or stags (12-day advancement; P < 0·001). The interaction of hind and stag treatments was not significant, however treatment of both sexes resulted in the greatest advancement in mean calving date (21 days; P < 0·001). These results indicate that treatment of red deer hinds or stags with exogenous melatonin can result in an earlier calving season and suggest seasonally advanced stags can stimulate earlier breeding activity in hinds.

Three steers cannulated in the rumen and abomasum were given a diet of wheat straw, chopped and soaked in sodium hydroxide and then washed to pH less than 8. The straw was sprayed with sucrose, urea and minerals. The diet was free of digestible protein and given at 1·7 to 4·1 kg/day. Microbial protein flowing to the omasum was measured by 15N. By difference, the flow of endogenous protein nitrogen to the omasum was found to be 2·2 g/kg dry-matter intake. The flow of endogenous protein nitrogen to the abomasum was 3·3 to 9·4 g/kg dry-matter intake, and it decreased with increasing food intake.