The study was carried out to determine the consequences of milking frequency on total yield, average-daily yield, peak day, flow rate, dairy merit and persistency in Red Sokoto goats. Thirty lactating does were divided into three categories on milking frequencies, once a day, trice a day and thrice a day milking of 10 animals each. All the does were at their third lactation and were hand milked for a period of 120 days postpartum. Over the 120 days lactation period, total yield, average daily yield, peak yield, peak day, flow rate, dairy merit and persistency were 55.5±2.95 kg, 0.466±0.025 kg, 0.791±0.042 kg 33.8±4.01 d, 3.7±0.25 g/d, 10.6±0.21 % and 96.1±7.92 %. Milking frequency significantly (P

The fermentation profiles and nutrient digestibility of Leucaena leucocephala as a supplement to Hordeum jabatum hay was investigated using twelve castrated sheep averaging 24.4 ± 2.2 kg body weight (BW). Six of the sheep were fistulated at the rumen and used for ruminal pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid determination in rumen fluid. Dried leaves of Leucaena leucocephala were offered as supplement at two levels, 25% (diet 2) and 50% (diet 3) of dry matter intake (DMI), replacing Hordeum jabatum hay diet. The basal hay diet without supplementation was diet 1. Rumen lquor was sampledone hour before, and one, three and five hours after the morning feeding. The sheep were subjected to digestibility trial. Sheep on diet 3 had higher (P 0.05) in the dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and hemicellulose intake among treatments. There were however, significant (P Keywords : Leucaena leucocephala , Rumen parameter, Nutrient digestibility, Wethers Animal Research International Vol. 1 (3) 2004 pp. 148-152

The investigation on Anopheles species in Konduga lake area, Borno State of Nigeria, was carried out to identify various Anopheles species prevalent in the area and to determine their relative population densities. Six Anopheles species were recorded, namely, A. gambiae, A. funestus, A. ziemanni, A. squamosus, A. pharoensis, and A. maculipalpis. The relative population densities of various species were higher during rainy season than during the dry season. The population densities of female Anopheles were higher than those of the males. With the exemption of A. maculipalpis, all the other Anopheles species recorded during the study are known transmitters of human malaria. A. gambiae of the A. gambiae complex was dominant in the study area. The periodic occurrence of Anopheles explains periodicity of malaria epidemiology in the study area. The high population of the female Anopheles predisposes inhabitants of the study area to incessant contact with the malaria vectors. Lake Konduga and its environments seem to satisfy the basic requirements of Anopheles mosquitoes growth and survival.

The effects o alcohol consumption on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status were investigated in the alloxan induced dabetic rats. Plasma from the diabetic rats not treated with alcohol (DNT); diabetic rats treated with alcohol (DT) and non diabetic rats (ND) were analysed for their malondialdelyde (MDA) and vitamin C levels. Both the glucose level and the body weightwere alsostudied. The mean weights o the rats in the diferent groups were the same until the onset o diabetes and alcohol ingestion when the weight decreased. After nine (9) days of alcohol suppementaton, the DT rats weighed114.00 ± 0.41 g and the DNT rats weghed 121.00 ± 1.22 gwhile the rats in the controlled group weighed 146.33 014 g. The glucose levels for DT, DNT and ND were 29.56, ± 0.56, 28.81 ± 0.87 and 5.42 ± 0.19 nmol/ respectvely. Analyss of the lipd peroxidaton product (MDA) obtained showed a significant (P < 005) increase in MDA values from – DT rate (38.63 ± 3.88) nmol/ml to DNT rats (2863 ± 1.38 nmol/lml), whle MDA value for ND rats was 7.88 ± 1.38 nmol/l. Plasma vitamin C vaues of 0.62 ± 0.05 mg/100ml 1.107 \" 0.13 mg/100ml and 1.79 ± 0.15 mg/100mlor DT, DNT and ND respectvely were obtaned. Keywords: Alcohol, Antioxidant, Lipid peroxidation, Diabetes, RatAnimal Research International Vol. 3 (3) 2006 pp. 570-572

Epidemiological and dermatological assessment of Onchocerciasis was carried out in Ufuma. Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria, between October and December 2005. Total o 404 consenting individuals from the nine villages in Ufuma, were systematically examined by the nodular palpation method. Communitynodular prevalence of 30.9 % was recorded, indicating that Ufuma was mesoendemic for Onchocerciasis. 208 (515 %) individuals had various degrees o Onchocerciasis-induced skin diseases (OSD). Concomitant infections (nodules with OSD) affected 105 (26.0 %) of al OSD+ve indviduals, indcating that certain subjects presented wh papable nodules did not develop any OSD. Age, gender and inter-village specific prevalence of onchocercal nodules, OSD and concomitant infections (noduleswith OSD) were also reported in this study. Thepractce of lay nodulectomy observed in the area is a strong indication o the people\'s attempt to control the disease. Awareness created by this study, in Ufuma, that Onchocerciasis is a controllable medical condition, may enhance compliance with Community Directed Treatment withIvermectin (CDTI) in the study area. Keywords: Onchocerciasis, Onchocercoma, Onchodermatitis, Endemicity, Ufuma, NigeriaAnimal Research International Vol. 3 (3) 2006 pp. 521-526

The pitfall trap was used in the study of the dipteran populations of an abattoir and a contiguous fallow plot, in relation to their relative abundance and distribution. A total number of 140 adult species of Synydas and Stomorhina cribrata, and 400 dipteran larvae were captured at the abattoirusing pitall techniques, with correspondingly fewer species of similar dipterans trapped at the contiguous fallow plot. Significant difference existed in the trapping of the Diptera larvae with more trapped at the abattoir than the fallow plot using Student t-test. There was also a preponderance of calliphorid species at the abattoir when the sweep net was used, with these species implicated as being potential pests of medcal and forensic importance. The presence of Sarcophaga sp. and Fannia canicularis in the sweep net collection at the abattoir was also traced tothe presence of decaying fall-offs from carcass. Other possible implications of the collected dipteran species at the abattoir and its vicinity were also discussed. Keywords: Dipteran fauna, Abattoir, Contiguous fallow plots, Guinea savanna Animal Research International Vol. 4 (1) 2007 pp. 626-629

A study of the prevalence of Malaria parasites in pregnant women attending pre - natal care in Government hospitals in two major towns (Aba and Okigwe) in Southeast Ngeria was carried out.Blood was collected by vein puncture rom 500 pregnant women in different trimesters (300 from Aba and 200 from Okigwe) and 200 non - pregnant women, 100 from each town. Presence of Malaria parasite was observed microscopically on thin and thick blood smears prepared from each sample. Personal data were collected both orally and from maternity records of the women. The results were analysed statisticaly using the Chi - square tes. Only the ring trophozoite and gametocyte forms of Plasmodium falciparum were observed in the infected samples. A total of 270 (54 %) pregnant women out of the 500 examined were infeced with P. falciparum whie 66(33 %)of the non - pregnant women sampled were infected. This represents a significant difference. Aba had 158 (52.6 %) out of the 300 pregnant women examined infected while Okgwe had 112(56 %)of the 200 pregnant women examined infected. There was no signficant dference between the results obtained in the two towns. (P > 005). Peak prevalence was observed in the first trimester 64.1 % (100 out of 156) whe 3rd trmester showed the lowest 45 % (68 of150). Prevalence was also highest in primgraviidae and women in second pregnancy (67.96 %). Multiparous women (3rdpregnancy and above) had 39.31 % . Age was significant. Anaemia (Hb. Keywords : Prevalence, Malaria, Pregnancy, Women, Anaemia, Plasmodium Animal Research International Vol. 3 (3) 2006 pp. 508-512

Macroinvertebrate fauna of Ogbei stream in Anambra state, Nigeria was studied from monthly samples taken from six stations or sites with a benthic scoop net and a serrated cylindrical sampler(SCS) for 12 months (May, 2002 – Apri 2003). A toal of 11420 macroinvertebrates were colected belonging to 4 classes, 13 orders, 28 families and50 species. The fauna was dominated numerically by Insecta (98.29 %), Arachnida (0.81%) and Oligochaeta (0.66%). Diptera was the most abundant taxon (42.62%), foowed by Odonata (36.89%), Coleopera (9.76 %) and Hemiptera (8.22 %). Station 3 had the highest percentage of abundance of the macrofauna (28.56 %) followed by station 2 (19.54 %). The highest faunal diversiy was recorded in station 6 The macroinvertebrate composition, distribution abundance and diversity were influenced by substrate composition, good water quality and availability of food. Keywords: Tropical freshwater stream, Macroinvertebrate composition, Abundance, Distribution, DiversityAnimal Research International Vol. 3 (3) 2006 pp. 553-561

The study on the impact of ecosystem changes on air-borne and vegetation-dwelling arthropods was carried out in the Agu-Awka area of Awka, Anambra State capital. Areas investigated were roadsides, cultivated agricultural, built-up, uncultivated agricultural and forest sites using the sweep net for arthropods on vegetation and the sticky trap for ar-borne flyng arthropods The forest site acted as control. Ecosystem changes from close forest to open environments reduced species richness for vegetation-dwelling arthropods but increased the species richness of ar-borne arthropods. For the vegetation-dwelling fauna, the forest site recorded 14 species while the disturbed built-up sites had only4 species. The differences between the sites were significant (P < 0.05). For the air-borne arthropods, there were no species in the forest while the highest number of species (7) was recorded in the uncultivated agricultural sites. The differences over the study sites for air-borne species were not significant (P > 0.05). The ecosystem change decreased significantly the species abundance of vegetation-dwelling arthropods fom 42 in the forest to 14 in the built-up sites (P < 0.05), while the species abundance of air-borne fauna was significantly increased from 0 in the forest to 43 in the uncultivated agricultural sites (P > 0.05). The species diversity for the vegetation-dwelling arthropods decreased significantly from 0.856 in the forest to 0.384 in the built-up sites (P < 0.05), while it increased significantly from 0.000 in the forest to 0.611 in the uncultivated agricultural sites for the air-borne arthropods (P < 0.05). For the vegetation-dwelling arthropods, 6 insect species and 6 spider species were dominant in the sites that had undergone environmental changes while 1 insect species and 3 spider species were dominant in the forest. For theair-borne fauna, no species was found in the forest while 7 insect species weedominant in the sites which had experienced ecosystem changes. Keywords: Ecosystem change, Flying insects, Vegetation-dwelling arthropods, Agu-Awka Animal Research International Vol. 3 (2) 2006 pp. 451-456

The prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites in school children in relation to availability of sanitaryfacilities was investigated. Stool samples from 580 pupils from nine schools in Makurdi were examined for intestinal parasites. Sanitary facilties available within the schools were also noted. The overall prevalence rate of parasitic infection was 5413%. Pupils in schools that had lower ratio of number of pupils per toilet had lower infection rates than those from schools with high ratio of number of pupils per toilet. This was however not statistically sgnificant (X 22.272, d = 2, P > 0.05). The following parasites were encountered, namely Ascaris lumbricoides (11.89%), Ancylostoma duodenale (18.62 %), Strongyloides steroralis (1.89%), Trichuris trichura (4.65%), Tapeworm (3.79 %), Entamoeba histolytica (7.06 %), Schistosoma mansoni (1.55 %) and Entemoeba coli (2.41 %). The implications of these results were discussed highlighting the need for provision of sanitary facilities: lke children friendly toiets portable water and fencing the school premises from trespassers as long-term intervention strategies. Occasional activities like mass school based chemotherapy and health education are recommended as immediate interventionstrategies to prevent and control intestinal parasite Keywords: Intestinal parasites, School children, Sanitary facilitiesAnimal Research International Vol. 3 (2) 2006 pp. 489-493