Yield and Composition of Milk of West African Dwarf (Wad) Sheep Fed Graded Levels of Boiled Pigeon Pea Seed Meal Broiler Chicken

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the yield and composition of milk of West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep fed graded levels of boiled Pigeon pea Seed Meal (PSM). Four diets were formulated to contain pigeon pea seed meal at 0, 10, 20 and 30% levels, designated diets A, B, C and D respectively. Four lactating WAD ewes in their second parity and weighing between 15 and 17kg were used to carry out the study in a 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment. Data collected were milk yield and composition. Milk yield (kg/wk) did not differ significantly (p>0.05) between the treatment means. However, the milk yield of animals fed diet D (30% PSM) tended to be higher (4.34kg/wk) than those fed diets A (4.17 kg/wk), B (4.13 kg/wk) and C (3.80 kg/wk). Except for the ash content in which diet D group was significantly (p<0.05) higher than those on diets A and C, all the other milk constituents did not differ significantly (p>0.05). However, lactose content and solids-corrected milk were higher in the diet D group, than for diets A, B and C groups, though similar (p>0.05). Simple regression analysis indicated that milk yield was positively but not significantly (p>0.05) correlated with crude protein, solids- not-fat, and lactose, while negatively but not significantly (p>0.05) correlated with total solids, butterfat and energy. Butterfat and energy were highly positively (p<0.001) correlated. Solids-corrected milk was highly positively (p<0.001) correlated with fatcorrected milk. The results of this study indicated that the dietary inclusion of boiled pigeon pea seed meal at 30% level was optimum for lactating West African Dwarf ewes as this promoted milk yield and adequate milk constituents.