Bodyweight Change and CarcassYield Performance of Somali Goats Fed with Groundnut Pod Hulls and a Mixture of Wheat Branand Mustard Seed Cake

Abstract

The study was conducted at Kombolcha ATVET College, Eastern Ethiopia using 25 intact male yearling Somali goats weighing 18.4±1.5kg at the start of the experiment. The objectives of the study was to examine the effects of urea treated groundnut pod hulls and supplementation of wheat bran and mustard seed cake mixture at a ratio of 3:1, respectively at different levels on body weight change and carcass yield performance of Somali goats. A completely randomized block design was employed and the experimental animals were grouped in five blocks of five goats each based on their initial BW. The goats within a block were randomly assigned to one of the five diets. Treatment feeds consisted feeding of sole untreated groundnut pod hulls (UGNPH) (T1) adlibtum, sole urea treated (UTGNPH) (T2) adlibtum, and supplementation of the UGNPH with the concentrate mixture at graded levels of125g (T3), 250g (T4) and 375g DM/head/day (T5). Daily DM intake of UGNPH was higher (P<0.001) in T1 (407.1 g/head/day) and T3 (388.7g/head/day) compared to T4 (331.5 g/head day) and T5 (272.1 g/head/day), whereas that of UTGNPH was higher (P<0.001) for T2 (471.1 g/day/head) compared to all treatments. Total DM intake was higher (P<0.001) in supplemented groups (T3, T4, and T5) compared to non-supplemented groups (T1and T2). Goats fed sole UGNPH (T1) and UTGNH (T2) lost BW at a rate of 31 and 6 g per day, respectively, whereas supplemented goats gained BW at a rate of 18.9(T3), 40.7(T4), and 53.3g(T5)per day. Goats supplemented with concentrate had higher (P<0.001) weight of hot carcass and empty bodyweight (BW). Better dressing percentage was obtained (P<0.01) in supplemented and UTGNPH group on empty and slaughter BW basis. The result of this experiment demonstrated that urea treatment increased intake of groundnut pod hulls and decreased body weight loss as compared to the UGNPH. We recommend supplementation with 375g DM/day/head of the concentrate mixture to UGNPH based diet for small scale goat fattening programs, since neither UGNPH nor UTGNPH provided sufficient nutrients for growing goats.