Digestibility And Nitrogen Balance Studies In West African Dwarf Sheep Fed Fortified Cassava Peel Meal – Poultry Waste Diets

Abstract

Four West African Dwarf (WAD) rams averaging 10.5 kg of body weight and aged 16 months were used in a metabolism study to determine the intake and nutrient digestibility of potato chips fortified cassava peel poultry waste diets. Four experimental diets were formulated. They include diets A the control made up of 100% dried cassava peel, and diets B, C, and D, consisting of 80: 10: 10; 70:15:15 and 60:20:20 of dried cassava peel, dried poultry waste and dried potato chips respectively. The crude protein (%) content were 4.86, 7.50, 9.18 and 9.83, while the gross energy (MJ/kg/DM) were 1.61, 1.62, 1.64, and 1.50 and for diets A, B, C, and D respectively. The animals were assigned the test diets in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment. Weekly body weights, feed intake, dry matter intake were recorded, nutrient digestibilities were computed while a nitrogen balance study was also carried out. Results indicate that incorporating potato chips in cassava peel – poultry waste diets generally improved intake in WAD sheep. Respectively the dry matter (53.33, 58.28, 54.71, 64.34), crude protein (24.93, 46.2, 49.24, 66.60), crude fibre (31.84, 27.74, 36.38, 68.12) and gross energy (80.08, 78.51, 77.25, 74.44) digestibility values of diets A, B, C, and D differed significantly (P<0.05). Also the dry matter intake (g/day) for diets B (387.31), C (388.03) and D (390.46) were similar but differed (P<0.05) from A (333.82). Total nitrogen intake, urinary and fecal nitrogen (g/day) also did differ (P<0.05) among treatment diets. The best nitrogen retention was obtained from animals fed diets D while A gave the least. The apparent –N- digestibility values were 26.30, 54.18, 51.07 and 60.15 for the respective dietary treatments. These values were also significant (P<0.05). The test diets promoted positive nitrogen balance among experimental animals generally. Animals on diet D performed comparatively better than those on diets A, B and C.

Journal of Applied Chemistry and Agricultural Research Vol. 7 2000-2001: pp. 69-74