Conventional feed resources for livestock are increasingly becoming more expensive, due to competition with man; hence nutritionists are searching for cheaper, locally-available alternatives. A total of forty-five (45) mixed sex weaner rabbits, aged 5 – 6 weeks, with average initial weights of between 694.42 and 761.10 g were used to investigate the effect of varying levels of cowpea milling waste (CMW) diets on their growth performance and nutrient digestibility. They were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments with nine rabbits per treatment. The control treatment (T1) contained 0 % CMW while treatments T2, T3, T4 and T5 had 10, 20, 30 and 40 % CMW dietary inclusion levels, respectively. Clean water and feed were offered ad libitum daily to the rabbits, and record of their feed intake and growth performance were taken for 12 weeks. At the end of the 11th week, a nutrient digestibility trial was carried out. Results show that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in final body weight, body weight gain, total feed intake and mortality among the dietary treatments. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) for diets T4 (6.65) and T5 (6.66) containing 30 and 40 % CMW respectively, were as good as that of the control diet (6.11). Dry matter and crude protein digestibility showed no significant (P>0.05) difference across the treatments. Digestibility of crude fibre (72.64, 80.16, 84.04 and 80.90 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively), ether extract (95.98, 94.90, 96.04 and 94.38 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively), nitrogen free extract (94.30, 95.18, 93.58 and 94.90 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively), as well as total digestible nutrient (83.69, 76.11, 81.67 and 80.02 % for T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively) of the test diets compared favourably with that of the control diet (72.94, 95.23, 96.04 and 80.47 % for CF, EE, NFE and TDN respectively). Hence, it can be concluded that CMW can be used safely as a protein source and included up to 40 % in weaner rabbit diets with no detrimental effect on their growth performance and nutrient digestibility.
A total of 144, one-day-old Arbor Acre chicks were used to investigate the effect of feeding diets containing cowpea milling waste and plantain peel meal mixture (CMWPPM) on the growth performance, nutrients digestibility and economy of feed conversion of broiler chickens. The birds were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design model, and consisted of 0, 10, 20 and 30 % dietary inclusion levels of CMWPPM. Each treatment was replicated three times with 12 chicks per replicate, making a total of 36 chicks per treatment. The experiment lasted for seven weeks. Nutrients digestibility studies were carried out at the 3rd and 7th week of the experiment using speciallydesigned metabolism cages. Results showed that at the starter phase, birds on CMWPPM 0% had significantly (P<0.05) higher feed intake, while birds on CMMPPM 20 % had significantly (P<0.05) lower feed intake than birds on the other treatments. The cost of feed and total cost of feed intake were significantly (P<0.05) higher for CMWPPM 30 % and significantly lower for CMWPPM 20 % than for the other treatments; while feed cost per kg weight gain had no significant difference across the treatments. At the finisher phase, there were no significant differences in all the growth performance parameters measured across the treatment groups. However, total cost of feed intake was significantly (P<0.05) higher for CMWPPM 10 % and significantly (P<0.05) lower for CMWPPM 20 %. The feed cost per kg weight gain was significantly (P<0.05) higher for CMWPPM 10 % and significantly (P<0.05) lower for CMWPPM 20 % and 30 % diets. Results of nutrients digestibility at the starter phase show that though dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre and nitrogen free extract digestibility were significantly (P<0.05) different across the treatments, there were no significant (P>0.05) difference in the overall total digestible nutrient across the diets. For the finisher phase, as the level of CMWPPM increased in the diets, the CP, CF, ash, lipid, NFE and TDN decreased across the treatments Therefore, it is concluded that the inclusion level of CMWPPM in the diet of broiler chickens should not exceed 20 % for optimum economy of feed conversion at the finisher phase; whereas birds can be fed diets containing 30 % dietary inclusion level of CMWPPM with good economy of feed conversion at the starter phase. Un total de 144 poussins de 'Arbor Acre' âgés d'un jour a été utilisés pour étudier l'effet des régimes alimentaires contenant des déchets de 'cowpea' et du mélange de repas defarine d'écorce de 'plantain'. (Le 'CMWPPM') sur les performances de croissance, la digestibilité des nutriments et l'économie de la conversion alimentaire des poulets de chair. Les oiseaux ont été attribués au hasard à quatre traitements diététiques dans un modèle de conception complètement aléatoire, et consistaient en des niveaux d'inclusion alimentaire de 0, 10, 20 et 30% de 'CMWPPM'. Chaque traitement a été répété trois fois avec 12 poussins par répétition, soit un total de 36 poussins par traitement. L'expérience a duré sept semaines. Des études de digestibilité des nutriments ont été réalisées à la 3ème et 7ème semaine de l'expérience en utilisant des cages de métabolisme spécialement conçues. Les résultats ont montré qu'à la phase de démarrage, les oiseaux sous 'CMWPPM' 0% avaient une ingestion alimentaire significativement (P <0,05) plus élevée, tandis que les oiseaux sous 'CMMPPM' 20% avaient une ingestion alimentaire significativement (P <0,05) inférieure à celle des oiseaux sur les autres traitements. Le coût de l'alimentation et le coût total de la prise alimentaire étaient significativement (P <0,05) plus élevés pour CMWPPM 30% et significativement plus faibles pour CMWPPM 20% que pour les autres traitements ; tandis que le coût de l'alimentation par kg de gain de poids n'avait pas de différence significative entre les traitements. Lors de la phase de finition, il n'y avait pas de différences significatives dans tous les paramètres de performance de croissance mesurés dans les groupes de traitement. Cependant, le coût total de l'ingestion alimentaire était significativement (P <0,05) plus élevé pour CMWPPM 10% et significativement (P <0,05) inférieur pour CMWPPM 20%. Le coût de l'alimentation par kg de gain de poids était significativement (P <0,05) plus élevé pour le CMWPPM 10% et significativement (P <0,05) inférieur pour les régimes CMWPPM 20% et 30%. Les résultats de la digestibilité des nutriments à la phase de démarrage montrent que bien que la digestibilité de la matière sèche, des protéines brutes, des fibres brutes et de l'extrait sans azote soient significativement différentes (P <0,05) d'un traitement à l'autre, il n'y avait pas de différence significative (P> 0,05) dans le total de nutriments digestibles à travers les régimes. Pour la phase de finition, au fur et à mesure que le niveau de 'CMWPPM' augmentait dans les régimes alimentaires, le 'CP', les 'FC', les cendres, les lipides, l'NFE et le TDN diminuaient au fil des traitements. Par conséquent, il est conclu que le niveau d'inclusion de 'CMWPPM' dans l'alimentation des poulets de chair dépasse 20% pour une économie optimale de la conversion des aliments lors de la phase de finition ; tandis que les oiseaux peuvent être nourris avec des aliments contenant 30% de taux d'inclusion alimentaire de 'CMWPPM' avec une bonne économie de conversion alimentaire lors de la phase de démarrage.
The need to seek for alternative feed materials to replace maize as source of energy to support growth in weaner rabbits necessitated this study. A feeding trial of 84 days using unsexed rabbit crosses (New Zealand white and Chinchilla) was conducted to assess the replacement value of African Locust bean fruit pulp for maize in weaner rabbits diet. Five diets were formulated, such that 100% maize and 0.00% fruit pulp of African fruit pulp at (T1), 75% maize and 25% inclusion of African locust bean at (T2), 50% maize and 50% African locust bean pulp as (T3), 25% maize and 75% African fruit pulp at (T4) while (T5) contain 100% fruit pulp of African locust bean and 0.00% maize, respectively. Seventy-five (75) weaner rabbits with average initial weight between 610.67g - 622.60g were randomly allocated in a complete randomized design (CRD) experiment to the five diets with fifteen (15) weaner rabbits in each treatment which were subdivided into three (3) replicates having five (5) weaner rabbits in each replicate. The weaner rabbits were housed in individual cage compartment. Data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Proximate and Phytochemical composition of sun dried fruit pulp of African locust bean used in the diets showed dry matter content of 91.38 %, crude protein 6.70 %, crude fiber 11.21 % Ether extract 5.04 %, ash 5.02 and nitrogen free extract 63.41 %. The metabolizable energy contained in the ingredient was 3079.41 ME/Kcal/Kg. Proximate composition of the experimental diets fed to weaner rabbits carried out indicated that T1 had dry matter content of 93.28 %, crude protein of 19.80 % and 12.41 % of crude fiber. Ether extract was higher in T5 with 8.48 %, while nitrogen free extract contained in T3 had the highest value of 51.17 %. However, ash content in T5 has the highest value of 7.83 %. The metabolizable energy in all the dietary treatment shows that T5 had the highest value of 3013.21 ME/Kcal/Kg. Nutrient digestibility in weaner rabbits showed crude protein digested during the experimental work in the treatment ranged from 69.46 % to 73.73 %. Crude fiber digested was between the ranges of 42.20 % to 58.12 % in all the treatments. Ash content ranged from 50.18 % to 56.35. T5 has the highest percent nutrient of ether extract digested with 83.36 % while the lowest value was obtained in T1 with 58.99 respectively. Values in nitrogen free extract ranged from 65.20 % to 72.43 % and showed a significance difference (P< 0.05) in all the treatment. Data were collected on daily feed intake and weekly weight. Feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, energy efficiency ratio, nutrient digestibility and feed cost benefit N (kg) were calculated. Weaner rabbits fed 75% maize and 25% African fruit pulp (T2) consumed more feed and significantly gained more weight (P < 0.05) than those fed the other diets. Feed conversion, protein efficiency ratio and energy efficiency ratio were not significantly (P>.0.05) influenced by the treatment diets while nutrient digestibility showed a significance difference (P < 0.05) in all the treatments. Average feed cost/weight gain of production with maize was estimated at N311.25 in T1 while the African locust bean fruit pulp was N161.81 in T5, a cost difference of N149.44, this resulted to a progressive reduction in the cost treatment of feed with increase in the level of fruit pulp of African locust bean meal. The results of this study indicated that when 25 % fruit pulp of African locust replaced maize, the rabbits performed better than the control diet and also of more economical option.
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