Free Choice Intake, Growth and Digestibility Responses by West African Dwarf Does Fed Pulverised Maize-Cob Based Diets

• G.A. Ibhaze

  Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria.

  Author

• A.H. Ekeocha

  Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Nigeria,

  Author

• B.O. Ojeamiren

  Department of Animal Science, Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, Benin City, Nigeria

  Author

In an effort to mitigate the effect of dry season on ruminant feeding, the use of alternative feed resources such as maizecob, cassava peel and brewers’ grain was investigated. Using twelve West African Dwarf (WAD) goats of average weight 9.05 ± 0.5 kg, the free choice intake, growth and digestibility were used as response criteria to pulverized maize-cob based diets {pulverized maize-cob/cassava peel (PMC/CsP), pulverized maize-cob/brewers’grain (PMC/BG) and pulverized maize-cob/brewers’grain/cassava peel (PMC/BG/CsP)}. Free choice intake was determined by cafeteria method using two indices; Coefficient of Preference (CoP) and Percentage preference (Pp) while for the growth study, animals were randomly allotted to the three dietary treatments, having four animals per treatment and digestibility of the diets was also evaluated. Results revealed crude protein and neutral detergent fibre contents range of 14.66 – 21.18% and 40.01- 51.14% respectively among the diets. Free choice intake of diets was significantly (P<0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. The PMC/CsP diet was inferred acceptable as the CoP was above unity (2.30), with the highest preference value (38.47%) and was ranked 1st. Intake, weight gain and feed/gain ratio were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments. Animals fed PMC/CsP recorded the highest dry matter intake (309.45g/day) and lowest intake (290.27g/day) was obtained by animals on PMC/BG. Weight gain and feed/gain ratio ranged from 20.55-25.11g/day and 12.32–14.25 respectively. Digestibility of nutrients was significantly (P<0.05) different across the treatments with diet PMC/BG having the highest dry matter (50.26%), crude protein (58.41%) and neutral detergent fibre (43.48%). It was concluded that pulverized maizecob based diets have the potential to sustain goat production during the period of forage scarcity.

1. G.A. Ibhaze, Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria.

   Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria.

2. A.H. Ekeocha, Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Nigeria,

   Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Nigeria,

3. B.O. Ojeamiren, Department of Animal Science, Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, Benin City, Nigeria

   Department of Animal Science, Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, Benin City, Nigeria

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