FACULTY OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Faculty research overview
Research Groups
Animal Breeding and Genetics:
Dairy Animal Breeding
Meat Animal Breeding
Cytogenetics/Genetic Conservation of Animals
Livestock Management:
Dairy Production
Meat Production
Range Livestock, Drought Power and Animal Welfare
Poultry Husbandry
Poultry Management
Poultry Physiology
Institute of Animal Nutrition & Feed Technology
Ruminant Nutrition
Avian Nutrition
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Ø Development of efficient recording procedures for field application in dairy animals.
Ø Construction of multi-trait selection indices in different sheep breeds.
Ø Evaluation of production potential of different commercial and synthetic poultry breeds for intensive and extensive rearing.
Ø Breeding adapted strains of dairy cattle through crossing Sahiwal, Jersey and Holstein-Friesian.
Ø Studies on relative merits of three breeds of sheep and their crosses for high weight gain.
Ø Computerization of animal performance records generated at various livestock experiment stations.
Ø Genetic and phenotypic evaluation of the performance of Bhagnari
and Droughtmaster x Bhagnari crossbred cows in Pakistan.
Ø Participatory rural development; under Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Poverty Alleviation Program
Ø Small holders livestock and fodder production/preservation; Farming System (FSR) Program.
Ø Economic losses due to animal diseases in Punjab.
Ø Effect of heat stress on milk production in buffaloes.
Ø Propagation of Mott grass (multicut hybrid fodder).
Ø Utilization of forage shrubs and trees on marginal lands for Livestock production.
Ø Productive and reproductive potential of camel as dairy and meat animal.
Ø A dual-purpose poultry breed named ‘Lyallpur Silver Black” has been evolved. It is suitable under local conditions especially in rural areas.
Ø Designed a technology for Induced Moulting for rejuvenating the production potential of spent birds.
Ø Through its training programs, this department has emerged as a main stay of poultry industry in the country.
Ø Gas brooder.
Ø Egg cholesterol reduction technology.
Ø Modification of forced moulting technique for recycling the commercial layers.
Ø Low cost technique for maintaining growth and production potential in poultry birds during summer season.
RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS
Ø Initiated B.Sc.(Hons.) A.H. degree to give impetus to livestock and poultry production on scientific lines, 800 graduates produced so far.
Ø Updated under-and postgraduate courses taught in the Faculty by including courses on economics, business management, marketing, computer and extension techniques.
Ø A bulk of modern scientific Lab. equipment has been added to the existing lot.
Ø Biotechnology and Cytogenetics Labs. have been set up in the Faculty.
Ø A horse riding school has been set up.
Ø Faculty library has been reorganized and strengthened.
Ø A close liaison is maintained with research organisations such as PARC (NARC), PSF, various livestock and poultry research institutes as well as Agri. Varsities.
Ø Effect of feeding supplemental fat on the performance of lactating Sahiwal cows.
Ø Effect of prolificacy and fodder availability on growth curve of Dera Din Panah goat.
Ø Incidence of mastitis as affected by dry period antibiotic therapy.
Ø Effect of dipping teats in 1% solution of KMnO4 on the prevalence and incidence of sub clinical mastitis in cow and buffaloes.
Ø Effect of Dietary Supplemental Levels of Vitamin “A” on Performance and Immune Response of Laying Hens in Hot Climate.
Ø Comparison of Different Hatchery Disinfectants to Reduce Early Chick Mortality.
Ø Effect of Intermittent Feeding on the Performance and Dressing Characteristics of Broilers.
Ø Effect of Floor Space on the Performance of Broiler Chicks.
Ø Effect of various periods of feed restriction on the performance and immune response against Newcastle and Gumboro diseases of broilers.
Ø Effect of Intermittent Feeding on the Performance of Broilers.
Ø Designing of electronic trap nest for culling and selection of layers.
Ø Development of low cost automatic feeding system for commercial poultry
Ø Utilization of hatchery waste as protein source in broiler feeds.
Ø Hormonal and nutritional manipulation for induced molting.
Ø Comparison of various heat combating devices for commercial layers.
Ø Genetic variants of kappa-casein in Sahiwal dairy cows.
Ø Phylogenetic relationship among Pakistani cattle breed on random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis.
Ø Higher education link with University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) for women training.
FUTURE FOCUS
Ø Genetic evaluation of Thalli Sheep in Pakistan.
Ø Genetic and Phenotypic aspects of some performance traits of Nili-Ravi buffaloes in Pakistan.
Ø Development of milk recording and genetics evaluation models in Sahiwal cattle.
Ø Genetics characterization of native cattle and buffaloes breeds of Pakistan.
Ø Development of Export system for evaluation of buffaloes heifers.
Ø Augmentation of research facilities at the LES UAF-1.
Ø The prospects of use of camel as beef animal.
Ø Studies of some productive and reproductive performance of Beetal goat in and around the Proka.
Ø Reducing economic losses by controlling incidence of worm infestation through management in dairy animals kept under different feeding system.
Ø A comparison of concentrate and fodder based finishing diets on the performance, carcass composition and meat quality of Lohi and Sipli lambs.
Ø Effect of superphosphate as phosphorus supplement on feed intake, weight gain, digestibility and blood picture of Sahiwal calves
Ø Evolution of hybrid broiler strains adapted to local environment
Ø Effect of feeding management on the performance an physiological response of broilers during summer.
Ø Comparative evaluation of some medicinal plants as growth promoters for broiler chicks.
EGG CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Chicken egg contains about 180-200 mg cholesterol/egg, which is relatively high. Medicinal plants are reported to have reducing effect on cholesterol level of blood and egg of the chicken. Medicinal plants not only reduced the egg cholesterol but also have beneficial effects on quality of the egg in studies conducted at Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Medicinal plants used either independently or jointly i.e., Garlic @ 1.5% alone, Kalongi @1% alone and Garlic and Kalongi mixture (50% each) @ 1% were mixed in the commercial layer ration after grinding in a mortar and mixing. The use of medicinal plants in commercial layer rations resulted in 20-25 rupees increase in profit per bird as compared to control (without medicinal plants). Use of local medicinal plants i.e. Kalongi and Garlic is cheap and thus added immune booster effect due to which mortality of birds is reduced as compared to costly sea weeds/crab meals, which are not produced in Pakistan. It is established that medicinal plants like Kalongi and Garlic reduced the cholesterol 12-16% in egg. So it is recommended that the layer farmers should use Garlic @ 1.5 % or Kalongi @1% or Kalongi-Garlic mixture @ 1%.
DEVELOPMENT OF A POULTRY BREED “LYALLPUR SILVER BLACK”
“Lyallpur Silver Black” a general purpose poultry breed was evolved for keeping in rural areas of the country. This breed has been developed at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, by crossing the exotic high yielding breeds (White Leghorn, White Cornish and New Hampshire) with the hardy local chicken (Desi breed), the basic idea for the evolution of this breed was to produce more eggs and meat than the local (Desi) type birds under rigorous environmental conditions of rural areas. Lyallpur Silver Balck produces 150 eggs/year as compared to Desi producing 73 eggs/year it is also available at Poultry Research Centre, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
MODIFICATION OF FORCED MOULTING TECHNIQUE FOR RECYCLING THE COMMERCIAL LAYERS
A modified forced moulting technique for recycling the commercial layers at the end of the first production cycle was evolved. This technique comprises of complete starvation followed by low protein diet for a rest period and layer diet for rejuvenation. The birds are set to a 7 days pre-moult period in which vaccination and deworming of birds is done. The following 7 weeks period is called moulting period in which the birds are exposed to complete starvation for first two weeks with ample supply of water and during this no light is provided. In the following two weeks i.e. 3rd and 4th week, feeding 45 and 60 gram ground maize/bird/day is done respectively. Feeding 75 gram pullet grower ration/day for the next 4 weeks is done with 16 hours light. The modified program has given satisfactory results under local conditions i.e. a Poultry Research Centre and PARL programme, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
LOW COST TECHNIQUE FOR MAINTAINING GROWTH AND PRODUCTION POTENTIAL IN POULTRY BIRDS DURING SUMMER SEASON
Heat alleviation measures were evolved during summer season through environmental control and nutritional management techniques to maintain growth and production potentials in poultry birds. Ascorbic acid supplementation through drinking water of 1 to 12g/litre in drinking water produced good results in ameliorating the heat stress and consequently leading to maximum egg production potential. In addition, cooling by direct application of regulated amount of water on the body surface of caged layers ameliorated heat stress during high temperature days of summer season. Surface wetting by direct sprinkling of two liters of water on the body surface of 32 layers was very effective and useful for amelioration of heat stressful conditions. Three times surface wetting daily at 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m. improved comparative performance of layers from June through September months.
Departments
Institutes
Animal Nutrition &
Feed
Technology