No abstract

A feeding trial was conducted to assess the response of West African Dwarf sheep to differently processed corncob meal based-diets. Sun-dried corncobs were collected at Teaching and Research farm of Federal University of Technology, Akure, treated with water, lye, urea, poultry litter and fermented for twenty-one (21) days. Five experimental diets were formulated and contained five differently treated corncob meals as follow: A (untreated corncob), B (water-treated corncob), C (lye-treated corncob), D (urea-treated corncob) and E (poultry litter-treated corncob). These processed corncob meals were incorporated as basal ingredients at 45% level. Thirty (30) WAD sheep (3 males and 3 females per treatment) were fed the five diets in a completely randomized design and the experiment lasted for sixty three (63) days. Dry matter intake, digestibility, nitrogen retention, weight gain and feed/gain ratio were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the inclusion of differently processed corncob meal in the diets. The highest crude protein (CP) intake, CP digestibility, nitrogen retention and feed/gain ratio values were recorded for sheep fed ensiled poultry litter-treated corncobs (diet D) and significantly (P<0.05) differed from values recorded for sheep fed other diets. The haematological indices were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the treatment except haemoglobin concentration. The results revealed that the inclusion of water, lye, urea, and poultry litter treated corncob meal in the sheep diets could satisfy the dietary protein and energy requirements of the sheep.

A study that involved 20West African dwarf (WAD) goats aged 1½ - 2 years with an average live weight of 13.86 ± 0.14 kg was carried out to evaluate nutrients intake, digestibility, Weight gain, nitrogen balance and feed to gain ratio of WAD goats fedmaize offal substituted with urea-molasses treated cassava peels meal. The goats were divided into 5 groups of four goats per group and allotted to individual pens in a completely randomized design. The experimental period lasted 63days excluding two weeks of adaptation. Five diets were formulated such thatmaize offal was substitutedwith ensiled urea-molasses cassava peels at ratio 0% (A), 20% (B), 30% (C), 40% (D), 50% (E) respectively. The drymatter ranged from 91.26 (diet E) to 91.69% (diet A) while diet B had highest NDF (32.39%) and energy (16.61KJ/100gDM). The crude protein content ranged between 16.31 (diet A) and 23.30% (diet E) and increased with the increased inclusion of urea-molasses treated cassava peel meal in the diets. Nutrients intake, apparent digestibility, dailyweight gain, nitrogen balance and feed to gain ratio were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the treatments except hemicelluloses and cellulose. The highest dry matter (549.42g/day) and crude protein (108. 95g/day) intake were observed in goats fed diet C. All the diets were adequately utilized however, goats fed diet B have the best weight gain (61.90g/day) and convert their feed to flesh better (8.52) than others goats.Hence, the diet was palatable, acceptable and tolerable to the goats without a sign of ill-health. Thus, maize offal replaced with ensiled 20% ureamolasses treated cassava peelsmeal could be a good source of protein and energy that would enhance nutrient utilization by ruminants during difficultmonths of the dry season.

Carcass traits and relative organ weights of growing rabbits fed graded levels of processed (ash treated and rumen liquor fermented) kola nut (Cola nitida) pod husks (PKPH) were investigated. One hundred and twenty (120) weaner rabbits of mixed breeds (New-Zealand white × Chinchilla) of equal sexes and average body weight 525.46g were randomly allotted to four (4) dietary treatments at 0 (0.00 % PKPH), 10 (10 % PKPH), 20 (20 % PKPH), and 30 % (30 % PKPH) inclusion levels and designated as diets 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Each treatment group was replicated ten (10) times with three (3) rabbits per replicate and was fed ad-libitum for 56 days. The highest slaughter weight (1813.80 g/r), dressing weight (1068.70 g/r) and dressing percentage (58.54 %) recorded in rabbits fed diet 3 (20% PKPH) were similar to those fed the control diet (0 % PKPH) and diet 2 (10% PKPH) but was significantly (P<0.05) higher than those fed diet 4 (30 % PKPH). The lungs, liver, kidney, heart, and spleen of the rabbits fed dietary treatments were not significantly influenced. It was concluded that processed kolanut pod husk had no deleterious effect on carcass and relative organs weight of weaner rabbits.