Intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention of graded levels of boiled rubber seed meal fed West African dwarf bucks

Abstract

Intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention by West African dwarf (WAD) bucks fed various inclusion levels of boiled rubber seed meal were investigated. Four (4) growing WAD buck 0f between 9 months and 1 year with a mean weight of 8.43±0.16kg were used in this study. Four diets containing graded level of boiled rubber seed meal (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) with brewer dried grain, palm kernel cake, cassava peels, bone meal and salt of equal part except BDG were formulated as A, B, C and D. Each buck received one of the four diets in 4X4 Latin Square designed experiment. The results revealed that chemical composition of the 4 diets were similar (P>0.05) in all the parameters, with a trend of which CP, EE and ash values increases as BRSM level increases but DM, CF, NFE and energy took reverse trend of decreasing in values as BRSM level increases. The DMI (g/d), DMI (g/d/Wkg0.75) and DMI as %BW showed significant differences (P>0.05) among the treatment groups. The value of DMI as %BW range (4.99%-%.41%) showed that goats on the 4 diets had positive DM status. CP intake (g/d), Nintake (g/d), N-faeces (g/d), N-urine (g/d), N-absorbed (g/d), N-balance (g/d) and App. N-digestibility (%) were similar (P>0.05) among the treatment group. The metabolic faecal-N (MFN) value in all the diets were positive and similar (P>0.05) among the treatment. The value of endogenous urinary-N (g/d/Wkg0.75) (EUN) increases as the level of BRSM increases for diet B, C, and D. The biological and digestible CP values did not follow a definite pattern. However, 10% inclusion level of BRSM was better utilised by WAD buck and could be used to formulate alternative concentrate for WAD goat.