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The development of successful production strategies for poultry rearing depends on an accurate description of village chicken production systems. In Rushinga District of Zimbabwe, participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) followed by checklists and intensive case studies were carried out in three villages. The role of chickens in the livelihoods of households was evaluated. Flock dynamics were monitored monthly for 24 months. Women who were resident on the farm headed 19% of the households. A household comprised 4.8±2.5 members with arable land of approximately 2.6 ha. In addition to chickens, households grew maize, cotton and sunflower and kept large animals. Flocks ranging from 1 to 50 village chickens per household were reared under a scavenging system of management with suboptimal housing, inadequate feeding and poor health care. The use of ethno-veterinary medicine was common in treating sick chickens. The largest flock sizes were observed in the hot-wet season. Over 90% of an average of 5.4 entries/household per month were from hatched chicks. Mortality claimed an average of 80% of the total exits. Chicken production potential (CPP), which defined the proportion of chickens that could be utilized by a household, averaged 50%. Chicken production efficiency (CPE) was approximately 15% of the CPP. Egg consumption patterns were low and similar across seasons.

A study was conducted in two adjacent locations. Nharira (communal) and Lancashire (small-scale commercial) farming areas in Zimbabwe to characterize the breeds and evaluate the reproductive and lactation performance of dairy cattle under smallholder management. The types of cows identified were Friesian, Jersey and Red Dane, and an indigenous Sanga breed called the Mashona and its crossbreds. Both sectors used more exotic and crossbred cows than indigenous cows. The mean monthly weights of the dairy cows were higher in Lancashire than in Nharira and the calving intervals were longer in Nharira than in Lancashire. The mean age at first calving was higher and the mean total lactation yields were greater in Nharira than in Lancashire, but the mean 305-day lactation yields were not significantly different. The mean lactation lengths were longer for the cows from Nharira. It was concluded that the reproductive and lactation performances were low. The calving intervals were extended, probably owing to suboptimal nutrition and heat stress, particularly during the dry season, and to poor management practices, such as delayed mating due to the poor availability of bulls.

Copper (Cu) is not only essential as a component of a number of different plant enzymes and necessary for the activity of several specific enzymes, it is also an important constituent of blood proteins necessary for the normal physiological functioning of the animal body. The role of Cu in agricultural production has been documented by several authors and these reviews mainly relate to work in the temperate regions.This review has attempted to extract all available information in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) on the role of Cu on the soil, plant and animal systems. It discusses the content of Cu in the soil and plant, its role and biochemistry and methods of analysis with special reference to research in SSA. The need to maintain adequate levels of Cu levels in the soil and forage crops for ruminant animal consumption is emphasised. Factors such as age, physiological state, breed, dry matter intake and source of Cu which influence dietary Cu requirements of ruminant animals were reviewed. Deficiency and toxicity cases of Cu in animals have been diagnosed in many SSA countries. Although there are several ways of correcting Cu deficiency and toxicity problems, success depends on the ability to identify the underlying causes. The interaction of Cu with other minerals, in particular molybdenum (Mo) and sulfur (S), is an important factor determining whether a deficiency or toxicity is “simple”; or “conditioned”;.

The effects of sexual condition and age at slaughter on carcass characteristics were investigated in Sussex cattle. At three months of age 93 male calves were allocated to three sexual treatments: entire, cryptorchid and castrate. The cattle were weaned at eights months, grazed on range and then placed into feedlots for 90 days prior to slaughter at 15, 18 or 21 months of age.

From root bark of Xeromphis obovatathree coumarins have been isolated: scopoletin, its 7-β-d-glucopyranoside (scopolin) and the new β-d-apiosyl-(1” »6′)-β-d-glucopyranoside of scopoletin, named xeroboside. Also two iridoids, deacetylasperulosidic acid methyl ester and gardenoside, have been isolated and identified as the corresponding acetyl derivatives.

(−)-trans-2,2′-Digeranyloxy-7,7′-dimethyl-4,4′,5,5′-tetrahydroxy-9,9′-bianthrone, (−)-ochnabianthrone, was isolated from the root bark of Ochna pulchra. The circular dichroism curve and therefore the absolute configuration at 9,9′ (R,R′or S,S′) is similar to that of (−)-sennidin A1.