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Digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste with foliage and grass/legume


C. A. Agida
E. A. Etim
I. M. Aroh
Z. A. Akanni
H. C. Chime
R. O. Adesola
N. M. Anigbogu

Abstract

Snails are important kind of micro livestock in the animal industry with a wide range of economic value and significance, the study determined the digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste, foliage or grass/legume using Completely Randomized Design. The experiment had four (4) treatments with five (5) replicates each, the experimental diets were diet 1 (100% municipal organic waste), diet 2 (100% grasses), diet 3 (75% grasses and 25% legume) and diet 4 (100% foliage). There were 25 hatchlings per replicate. The experiment lasted for 120 days. Snail hatchlings fed experimental diet 4, maintained higher significant (P<0.05) results for diet protein intake, digestible protein for growth, total digestible protein for gain, digestible protein, gross protein value, protein replacement value, and a better protein utilization efficiency. Dietary fibre intake was (P<0.05) higher on diet 3, 2 and 1, lower on diet 4, digestible fibre for growth showed (P<0.05) higher and similar values for diet 4 and 1, lower values for diet 3 and 2, digestible fibre and fibre replacement value decreased (P<0.05) in the order diet, 2, 3, 1 and 4, for efficiency of fibre utilization, diet 2 and 3 showed better fibre utilization efficiency. Dietary fat intake, digestible fat, fat replacement value showed (P<0.05) higher for diet 1, and with a better fat utilization efficiency. Snail’s micro-biota had high substrates dependency role on the quality of feed nutrient utilization in a symbiotic mechanism that helped in the breakdown and digestion of feed materials.


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eISSN: 1119-4308