Data analytics-based evaluation of blood indices and adaptation of medicated and non-medicated broiler chickens under humid tropical conditions

The growth performance and blood indices of medicated and non-medicated broiler chickens have been the subject of this research coupled with a paucity of comparative information on what can actually happen to broiler chickens if not medicated when reared under humid tropical conditions. One hundred unsexed day-old broilers were randomly and equally allotted into two treatment groups of TM (medicated) and TN (non-medicated) in a completely randomized design each treatment with five replicates having ten birds each. The birds were reared on deep litter system for 56 d which was divided into two phases of 28 d each (starter and finisher), during which data were collected with respect to daily feed intake, final body weight, body weight gained (BWG), mortality rate while blood analysis was carried out on 28th and 56th d for starter and finisher phases, respectively. Non-medicated group served as control. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE), were later calculated. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance statistically. There was no significant difference between the medicated and non-medicated broilers for daily feed intake, final body weight, and BWG and also for the blood parameters investigated at starter phase. However, at finisher phase, no significant difference was observed in the daily feed intake of Tm and Tn but there was significant (P < 0.05) difference in the final body weight, BWG, FCR, FCE, and mortality rate between the two groups. Birds on Tm attained higher weight significantly (P < 0.05) than those on TN. BWG, FCR, and FCE followed the same trend and also the mortality rate. White blood cells count of TN was higher significantly (P < 0.05) than TM while TM birds recorded higher packed cell volume, red blood counts, and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) significantly (P < 0.05) than TM birds. Effect of medication was much noticeable at finisher phase as it improved the growth rate though mortality rate was close to that of TN group. These results suggest that broilers can be produced free of medication with good feeding without loss of birds while the growth rate can be enhanced with the use of prebiotics and prebiotics.

Effect of litter management systems on incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis among broilers at finisher stage

Pododermatitis, or footpad dermatitis (FPD), is a welfare concern affecting broiler chickens globally. In the humid tropics, where high temperatures and humidity prevail, the impact of pododermatitis on broiler performance characteristics and behavior becomes even more significant hence this investigation. One hundred and eighty male broilers were used for this experiment out of 200 birds initially procured at day old. They were brooded and reared on deep litter and at 21 days of age, they were randomly allotted to the experimental unit. There were three treatments each with three replicates in a completely randomized design. The three litter management systems constituted the treatment groups. In the first treatment (t-A), litter materials were changed on a weekly basis and replaced with fresh ones while in the second treatment (t-B), the litter materials were turned or raked once a week, and in the third treatment (t-C), the litter materials were left untouched. The litter material used across all treatments was wood shavings and t-C served as control. The experimental birds were fed ad libitum during the trial. Data on daily feed intake, incidence and severity of paw lesions, and weekly body weights were taken while the experiment lasted 35 days. Test of mobility and aggression were carried out on the birds from each group on the last day of the experiment. The moisture content and pH of litter materials of each replicate were taken weekly from day 21 till the end of the experiment. Data were later subjected to analysis of variance statistically. The results revealed that broilers on t-A performed better (P < 0.05) than those on t-B and t-C for feed intake, live weight, weight gain, and feed utilization. However, FPD was pronounced among broilers on t-C and much more severe. A positive correlation was observed between the values of litter moisture content, litter pH, and incidence and severity of FPD. Birds on t-C were dull in appearance and inactive. In conclusion, FPD has a detrimental impact on the performance characteristics and behavior of broiler chickens in the humid tropics. However, the severity depends on the management system adopted. By adopting appropriate management practices such as weekly replacement of litter with fresh ones, it is possible to alleviate the negative consequences of FPD, improve broiler welfare, and enhance the sustainability of the poultry industry in these regions.

Poultry fecal imagery dataset for health status prediction: A case of South-West Nigeria

Feces is one quick way to determine the health status of the birds and farmers rely on years of experience as well as professionals to identify and diagnose poultry diseases. Most often, farmers lose their flocks as a result of delayed diagnosis or a lack of trustworthy experts. Prevalent diseases affecting poultry birds may be quickly noticed from image of poultry bird's droppings using artificial intelligence based on computer vision and image analysis. This paper provides description of a dataset of both healthy and unhealthy poultry fecal imagery captured from selected poultry farms in south-west of Nigeria using smartphone camera. The dataset was collected at different times of the day to account for variability in light intensity and can be applied in machine learning models development for abnormality detection in poultry farms. The dataset collected is 19,155 images; however, after preprocessing which encompasses cleaning, segmentation and removal of duplicates, the data strength is 14,618 labeled images. Each image is 100 by 100 pixels size in jpeg format. Additionally, computer vision applications like picture segmentation, object detection, and classification can be supported by the dataset. This dataset's creation is intended to aid in the creation of comprehensive tools that will aid farmers and agricultural extension agents in managing poultry farms in an effort to minimize loss and, as a result, optimize profit as well as the sustainability of protein sources.

Enhancing poultry health management through machine learning-based analysis of vocalization signals dataset

Population expansion and rising consumer demand for nutrient-dense meals have both contributed to an increase in the consumption of animal protein worldwide. A significant portion of the meat and eggs used for human consumption come from the poultry industry. Early diagnosis and warning of infectious illnesses in poultry are crucial for enhancing animal welfare and minimizing losses in the breeding and production systems for poultry. On the other hand, insufficient techniques for early diagnosis as well as infectious disease control in poultry farms occasionally fail to stop declining productivity and even widespread death. Individual physiological, physical, and behavioral symptoms in poultry, such as fever-induced increases in body temperature, abnormal vocalization due to respiratory conditions, and abnormal behavior due to pathogenic infections, frequently represent the health status of the animal. When birds have respiratory problems, they make strange noises like coughing and snoring. The work is geared towards compiling a dataset of chickens that were both healthy and unhealthy. 100 day-old poultry birds were purchased and split into two groups at the experimental site, the poultry research farm at Bowen University. For respiratory illnesses, the first group received treatment, whereas the second group did not. After that, the birds were separated and caged in a monitored environment. To eliminate extraneous sounds and background noise that might affect the analysis, microphones were set a reasonable distance away from the birds. The data was gathered using 24-bit samples at 96 kHz. For 65 days, three times per day (morning, afternoon, and night) of audio data were continually collected. Food and water are constantly provided to the birds during this time. During this time, the birds have constant access to food and water. After 30 days, the untreated group started to sound sick with respiratory issues. This information was also noted as being unhealthy. Chickens' audio signals were recorded, saved in MA4, and afterwards converted to WAV format. This dataset's creation is intended to aid in the design of smart technologies capable of early detection and monitoring of the status of birds in poultry farms in a continuous, noninvasive, and automated way.

PSIX-36 Animal welfare and its science in Nigeria;past and present outlook

Animal welfare is becoming an interesting global issue which must be given the best of attention by researchers, producers, consumers and the governments. The need to ensure the general well-being of the wild and domestic animals in every aspect of their husbandry is mandatory now in many developed countries of the world, and poultry industries are responding positively to this new dimension of husbandry. Species of animal are sensitive to the way they are being managed in terms of housing and other handlings. Meanwhile, there is little or no concern on subjects of of applied ethology in developing areas of the world such as Africa and Asia, and particular in countries like Nigeria, where livestock production and wildlife conservation is currently experiencing tremendous growth. Unlike developing countries, issue of animal welfare are being promoted by researches, sponsored information, legislation and enforcement by relevant agencies in developed nations of the world. Factors such as poor economic and technological advancements, political instabilities, social insecurities, low level of awareness and lack of information on legal provisions on animal on animal welfare have been identified to be responsible for poor animal welfare and its science in developing countries. Despite the fact that livestock sector carries the highest percentage among agricultural facets commercially in Nigeria, the level of welfare of the domestic animals and those in the wild is still below standard. This paper is however suggesting that regardless of the level of economic development in most of the low and middle-income nations, researchers can be motivated into animal welfare science, the curricula of colleges and universities be expanded to include subjects of applied ethology, professional bodies and associations on animal welfare can be formed with international affiliations. All these may change the orientation of the people and governments in developing countries positively towards animal welfare.

Mothers knowledge on the cause, prevention and symptoms of malaria in a university staff clinic in an urban setting in Southwestern Nigeria

This prospective study was carried out at Jaja Clinic, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The study documented the knowledge of mothers of children about the cause, prevention and symptoms of malaria. These were mothers of children between ages 1 month to 12 years that presented with fever at the clinic for the first time during the current illness. Data was collected with structured questionnaires administered to the mothers of the enrolled children. The children were clinically examined by clinicians and blood films for malaria parasites were taken and examined in the laboratory using Giemsa stain. The haematocrit level of each child was also determined. 60.4% of the children were 1 month-5 years (mean age 33.0 +/- 15.2 months) while 39.6% of them were over 5-12 years (mean 8.1 +/- 2.1 years). Most of the mothers (58.3%) had above secondary school education. Blood films for malaria parasites were positive in 76% of the children that presented with fever. 74.2% of the mothers knew mosquito bite as the cause of malaria while 13.2% of them were ignorant of the cause of malaria. The main protective measures practiced by the mothers against mosquito bites were netted windows (86.2%), use of aerosol insecticides (76.1%), and mosquito coil (17.0%). Most mothers were not knowledgeable about the use of insecticide treated nets (ITN) which is the most recently introduced protective measure against mosquito bite. Ninety percent of the mothers knew fever as the major symptom of malaria. The degree of parasitaemia affected the PCV level. The greater the parasite count, the lower the PCV level.