<div style="text-align: justify;">A study was conducted to determine the effect of shredded Colophospermum (C.) mopane wood inclusion as roughage on the performance of fattening Nguni heifers. The heifers were randomly allocated to four diets with different shredded C. mopane wood inclusion levels (5, 8.5, 10 and 15%) in a completely randomized design. Shredded C. mopane wood inclusion level had effect (P&lt; 0.05) on intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Diet intakes per metabolic weight and FCR of Nguni heifers were optimised at different shredded C. mopane wood inclusion levels. However, shredded C. mopane wood inclusion levels did not affect (P&gt;0.05) diet in vitro digestibility, carcass weight, dressing percentage, meat pH, meat shear force values and meat colour intensities except for red colour intensity of rump steak. It was, thus, concluded that shredded C. mopane wood can be used as roughage without adversely affecting diet intake, FCR, and live weight of Nguni heifers.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Effect of shredded <em>Colophospermum mopane</em> wood inclusion as roughage on the performance of fattening Nguni cattle</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">This study aimed to assess the influence of genotype and physiological status on blood metabolites of Nguni (10), Boer (10) and Non-descript (10) goats during late gestation and early lactation periods. Blood samples were collected and analysed using standard methods. The result revealed that, Nguni goat had higher (P &lt; 0.05) mean values of red cell counts (13.37 x1011/L), haemoglobin (9.07 g/dL) and creatine kinase (269.54 U/L) compared to Boer (9.96 x 1011/L, 7.94 g/ dL and 132.16 U/L) and Non-descript (12.98 x 1011 /L, 7.85 g/ dL and 143.50 U/L) goats, respectively. The Nguni goat also had higher mean values of glucose (3.38 mmol/L) and urea content (5.51 mmol/L) compared to Boer goats (2.96 mmol/L and 4.45 mmol/L) and Non-descript (2.50 mmol/L and 3.90 mmol/L). There was higher mean values of red cell counts (14.44 x 1011 /L), haemoglobin (8.57 g/dL), glucose (3.12 mmol/L), sodium (141.74 mmol/L) and calcium content (2.37 mmol/L) during late gestation compared to early lactation (9.77 x 1011/ L, 8.00 g /dL, 2.77 mmol/L, 137.37 mmol/L and 2.23 mmol/L) period. It was concluded that, genotypes and physiological status had influence on blood metabolites of goats.&nbsp;</div>

Variations in some haemato-biochemical markers from a small flock of free ranging Nguni, Boer and Non-descript goats during late gestation and early lactation periods

Effect of shredded Colophospermum mopane wood inclusion as roughage on the performance of fattening Nguni cattle

Variations in some haemato-biochemical markers from a small flock of free ranging Nguni, Boer and Non-descript goats during late gestation and early lactation periods