Effects of locust bean pulp with melon husk supplementation on nitrogen utilization and blood chemistry of west African dwarf goats

Abstract

The effect of locust bean pulp with melon husk supplementation on nitrogen utilization and blood chemistry of West African Dwarf goats were assessed in a 3 months feeding trial. Eighteen West African Dwarf goats with an average weight of 6.00 ± 0.15kg were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments with two  replicates of three goats per treatment in a completely randomized design. The treatment diets were; diet 1 (100% guinea grass that services as control group), diet 2 (70% guinea grass and 15% locust bean pulp with 10% melon husk) and diet 3 (50% guinea grass and 30% locust bean pulp with 20% melon husk). A  metabolism trial was conducted at the end of the feeding trial to assess diets on  nitrogen utilization after the blood collection. Results  obtained showed that faecal nitrogen output (2.71g/day), urinary nitrogen output (1.00g/day), total nitrogen loss (3.71g/day) and serum urea (11.07mg/dl) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in diet 1 than diets 2 and 3. Serum globulin (3.58g/dl) and glucose  (64.82mg/dl) were significantly (P < 0.05) better in goats on diet 2. Goats on diet 3 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in  nitrogen intake (17.52g/day), nitrogen balance (15.02g/day), nitrogen retention (85.73%), packed cell volume (29.78%),  haemoglobin (9.87g/dl), red blood cell (10.46 x 106/ML), white blood cell (11.86 x 103/ML), total protein (7.45g/dl) albumin  (3.93g/dl) and cholesterol (40.31mg/dl) compared to animals on diets 1 and 2. No significant (P > 0.05) effect in treatment diets with regards to mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and creatinine. It can be concluded that goats fed 50% guinea grass and 30% locust bean pulp with 20% melon husk had the  potential to enhance nitrogen utilization and blood chemistry in goats.

Keywords: Locust bean pulp, melon husk, nitrogen retention, blood chemistry, goats