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Publication Open Access Effect of strain, sex and slaughter weight on growth performance, carcass yield and quality of broiler meat(De Gruyter, 2020-01-01) Ikusika, OO; Falowo, AB; Mpendulo, CT; Zindove, Titus; Okoh, AIThis study examined strain, sex and slaughter weight effect on performance, meat quality and yield of broiler chicken. One hundred and fifty-day-old chicks (broilers) were distributed randomly in a 3 × 2 × 4 factorial experiment, with 50 birds per strain (Ross, Aboaca and Anak) and 25 birds per sex. After trial, 32 birds per strain and 16 per sex were slaughtered at 4 different body weights (1,000, 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 g) to determine carcass yield and meat quality. The results revealed significant strain and sex effect (P < 0.05) on growth performance of the broiler chicken. Ross strain had the highest feed intake (4883.25 g) and final body weight (2440.25 g) compared to Aboaca and Anak strains. Female broiler having heavier body weight (2431.66 g) and feed intake (4864.83 g) than the males for all strains. Aboaca birds had the highest carcass yields for all slaughter weight than Anak and Ross. The slaughter weight, irrespective sex and strains significantly influenced the carcass yield (P < 0.001) with birds slaughtered at 2,500 g having (P < 0.001) highest values compared to other slaughtered weights. As slaughter weight increases, cooking loss and thermal shortening decreases while water holding capacity and shear force values increases. Overall, Aboaca strain was considered to have best performances for production.Publication Open Access The human face of once-a-day milking(Lincoln University. Agriculture and Life Sciences Division, 2007-10) Tipples, Rupert S.; Verwoerd, N.This report concerns exactly what the title The Human Face of Once-a-Day Milking suggests: the impact of Once-a-day milking on farmers, their families and staff. It is a document about people: their needs, values, and the creative ways in which they try to deal with the fiercely stressful and competitive environment that dairy farming in New Zealand has become. It is about the ways they protect their sanity while still working hard and getting the job done; it is about trying to be successful dairy farmers and good parents and caring children and contributing members of society and salvaging a little bit of “me” time. It is about hopes and dreams and reclaiming the joys and challenges and satisfactions of being a farmer by working hard but refusing to accept drudgery. This report is not a “how-to” manual, nor is it a prescriptive report. There is some reference to farmers’ experience of production and income, but this is qualitative rather than quantitative - it is simply a record of what farmers who have switched from the traditional system of milking twice a day to milking once a day have experienced.Publication Open Access Employment trends in dairy farming in New Zealand, 1991 - 2006(Lincoln University. Agriculture and Life Sciences Division, 2008-02) Wilson, Judith; Tipples, Rupert S.Today agriculture overall is New Zealand’s largest export earner. In the year to June 2007 dairy exports alone were 25% of total merchandise export value. These were produced by 3.8 million cows in 11,883 herds (Livestock Improvement, 2006). Dairy export value in 2007 was $NZ 8.41 billion, which is projected to increase to $NZ 11.68 billion in 2011 as a result of higher volumes and prices (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007a). Most milk is consumed in the country of production. Only 5 percent of New Zealand milk is consumed in New Zealand, with the remainder exported as various milk products. Some 97 percent of New Zealand milk is processed by Fonterra, the farmers’ dairy cooperative company. Fonterra is also New Zealand’s largest company employing some 17,400 staff worldwide and it is the sixth largest international dairy company. However, it only handles some 3 percent of world dairy production, which is sourced from New Zealand (Fonterra, 2007). The prospects for dairy production are good at present as world prices are at all time high levels. The European Union has been able to export dairy products without the need for export subsidies for the very first time since its creation fifty years ago. However, future prospects, while looking good, are still quite uncertain if the production potential of a number of large countries (e.g. China, USA, Russia and those of Eastern Europe) is focused on milk production (Woodford, 2007). Sustaining New Zealand milk production and productivity therefore has vital importance for the overall state of the economy.