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PERFORMANCE OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS FED A COMBINATION OF AQUATIC FERN, NEPHROLEPIS BISERRATA- SCHOTT AND CASSAVA WASTE RATION
Abstract
Sixteen unbred female WAD goats between ages of 12-18 months with an average weight of 9.9560.28kg were randomly alloted to four dietary treatments which comprised 50:50 Guinea grass: Aquatic fern (control) and 25:75, 50:50 and 75:25% aquatic fern: cassava for treatments 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
The study lasted for 105 days during which feed intake, weight gain and nutrient digestibility were monitored using complete randomized design. Live weight gain was highest in the control while diets with 25 and 50% aquatic fern gave similar (p>0.05) values. The least gain was however recorded from the diet with 75% aquatic fern inclusion. The dry matter intake (g/kgw0.75) followed a similar trend as reported for the live weight change while the feed intake as percent body weight ranged from 2.14 + 0.06 to 3.61 + 0.05. The feed conversion ratio was poorest in treatment that contained 75% aquatic fern while the best was from the control diet.
The performance of the goats in terms of live weight change, DMI (g/kgw0.75) and feed intake as percent of body weight reduced as the level of the aquatic fern in the diet increased. The nutrient digestibility also decreased as the aquatic fern levels in the diet increased except for crude fibre digestibility that was not affected (p>0.05) while the ash digestibility increased with increase in the aquatic fern levels in the diet.
Key words: Goats, performance, Aquatic fern, cassava waste and weight gain
African Journal of Livestock Extension Vol.3 2004: 1-4
The study lasted for 105 days during which feed intake, weight gain and nutrient digestibility were monitored using complete randomized design. Live weight gain was highest in the control while diets with 25 and 50% aquatic fern gave similar (p>0.05) values. The least gain was however recorded from the diet with 75% aquatic fern inclusion. The dry matter intake (g/kgw0.75) followed a similar trend as reported for the live weight change while the feed intake as percent body weight ranged from 2.14 + 0.06 to 3.61 + 0.05. The feed conversion ratio was poorest in treatment that contained 75% aquatic fern while the best was from the control diet.
The performance of the goats in terms of live weight change, DMI (g/kgw0.75) and feed intake as percent of body weight reduced as the level of the aquatic fern in the diet increased. The nutrient digestibility also decreased as the aquatic fern levels in the diet increased except for crude fibre digestibility that was not affected (p>0.05) while the ash digestibility increased with increase in the aquatic fern levels in the diet.
Key words: Goats, performance, Aquatic fern, cassava waste and weight gain
African Journal of Livestock Extension Vol.3 2004: 1-4
