Browsing by Author "Msalya, George M."
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Item Effects of dry season supplementation of Calliandra calothyrsus leaf-meal mixed with maize-bran on dairy cattle milk productivity in the West Usambara Highlands, Tanzania(Research Square, 2022-06) Maleko, David Dawson; Msalya, George M.; Mtei, Kelvin M.The dry seasons decline in milk production due to insufficient feed supply to dairy cattle poses a great challenge to sustainability of smallholder dairy production systems in Tanzania. Locally produced leguminous fodder tree leaf meals combined with maize bran provide a great potential for overcoming the dry season protein-energy deficit in the basal roughage feeds. This study evaluated the effects of dry season Calliandra calothyrsus (Calliandra) leaf-meal: maize-bran based protein-energy homemade supplementary ration (HSR) on milk production of lactating cross-bred dairy cows in the Western Usambara Highlands (WUHs), Tanzania. Complete randomized design was employed whereby four groups of 4 lactating dairy cows were subjected to four levels of HSR rationed at 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg/cow/day. The lactating cows which were not subjected to HSR supplementation (0 kg/cow/day) were left under farmers’ feeding practices as a control. HSR had significant effect on dry season milk yields (P < 0.001) whereby milk yields were 2.7, 4.5, 5.6 and 6.1 litres/cow/day for 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day, respectively. In addition, simulated year-round daily milk yields indicated that 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day would double the milk yields. Nevertheless, there was overall significant difference in the income to cost ratios (P = 0.02) whereby it was 0.50, 0.79, 1.06 and 1.09 for 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day, respectively. However, the income to cost ratios for 4 and 6 kg HSR/cow/day did not differ significantly (P < 0.05). In conclusion, if the dairy farmers in WUHs are to produce profitable milk amounts during the dry seasons the supplementation level of 4 kg HSR/cow/day to the basal diets is recommended.Item Single nucleotide polymorphisms at heat shock protein 90 gene and their association with thermo-tolerance potential in selected indigenous Nigerian cattle(Springer, 2020) Onasanya, Gbolabo O.; Msalya, George M.; Thiruvenkadan, Aranganoor K.; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Sanni, Timothy M.; Decampos, John S.; Amusan, Samuel A.; Olowofeso, Olajide; Fafiolu, Adeboye O.; Okpeku, Moses; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, Christian O.Heat shock protein (HSP) 90 gene provides protection and adaptation to thermal assault and certain polymorphisms have been associated to heat tolerance in humans and animals. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP 90 gene were used to evaluate the scientific basis of heat tolerance in four zebu breeds of Nigeria. The DNA was extracted from skin tissue of 90 adult bulls representing White Fulani (WF), Sokoto Gudali (SG), Red Bororo (RB), and Ambala (AM). The SNPs were determined in DNAs using PCR, sequencing, and visualization and bio-editing by chromatogram in SeqMan Ngen tool. Subsequently, respective genotypes were constructed and genotypic and allelic frequencies were computed. Also, body parameters related to heat stress (HS) including body temperature (BT), rectal temperature (RT), and respira-tory rates (RR) were taken for each animal before biological sampling and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) was calculated. We detected four SNPs distinct/specific for each breed as follows: change from thymine (T) to guanine (G) at position 116 (T116G) in RB, G to cytosine (C) at 220 (G220C) in SG, G to adenine (A) at two positions, 346 (G346A) and 390 (G390A) in AM and WF, respectively. Heterozygous SNPs showed significantly lower values (P < 0.0001) for BT, RT, RR, and HTC than homozygous genotypes at all positions. We hypothesize that animals with heterozygous SNPs in exon 3 of HSP 90 may be tolerant to HS. These SNPs can be used as bio-markers for screening large populations of cattle for tolerance to hot tropical conditions in Nigeria and other sub-humid places.