Growth performance and serum chemistry of earthworm (Hyperiodrilus euryaulos) cultured in different animal dung media

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to determine the growth performance and serum biochemistry of earthworms cultured in different animal dung manures in a Completely Randomized Design experiment that lasted for 10weeks, using 315 earthworms. Five treatments, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively containing garden soil alone (control) and four animals (poultry, rabbit, pig and goat) manure mixed with garden soil in the ratio of 1: 3 were put into rectangular plastic containers (30 x 42.5x27) cm. The containers were perforated at the base to enable excess water to drain out. 1kg of diet each was formulated with maize offal, wheat offal and PKC in a proportion of 0.35kg, 0.30kg and 0.35kg respectively and were mixed thoroughly with each medium. 63 fry earthworms of similar length were introduced into each treatment that was replicated thrice.1 litre of water was sprinkled to each treatment once every two days. At the end of the experiment, the control group (T1) was observed to have the least values for all the parameters evaluated. The results indicated that the absence of animal dung did not support growth of the earthworms. Poultry dung- cultured earthworms had the highest gain in weight (15.31g) followed by the goat dung-cultured earthworms (13.41g). The animal dungs improved the final average length with the highest value observed in the group cultured in the poultry dung. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in all the serum chemistry parameters evaluated. The control was observed to have 0.53g/dl total protein, 1.80mg/dl creatinine, 10.03mg/dl urea, 13.34mg/dl cholesterol and 6.12g/dl glucose. Group T3 (rabbit dung medium) earthworms had the highest (P<0.05) urea (58.30mg/dl) and cholesterol (106.15g/dl).

Keywords: Earthworm, animal manure media