Feeding Snails (Archachatina marginata) with Leaves: Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Nutrient Digestibility, Proximate Composition and Minerals Contents of Snail Meat.

Abstract

A twelve (12) weeks feeding trial on nine hundred and sixty (960) African giant land snails (Archachatina marginata ) fed various leaves was evaluated. The snails were allotted randomly on their experimental diets. The experimental diets were domestic wastes designated as the control (T1), Centrosema pubescence leaves (T2), Moringa oleifera leaves (T3), and sweet potato leaves as (T4). Each treatment had two hundred and forty snails and was replicated four times with sixty snails each per replicate. The proximate compositions of these leaves were analyzed and showed significant values on the moisture content, crude protein, ether extracts, crude fiber, ash, and Nitrogen free extracts respectively. Data were collected on the performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, proximate composition and minerals contents of snail meat. The results on the final weight, weight gain, average weight gain and FCR of snails showed that T4 (121.46, 36.10, 0.52g and 1.49­­ ) were significantly (p <0.05) different across treatment groups. Results on carcass characteristics showed that T4 had superior live weight, dressed weight, foot and dressing percentage values compared to the other groups. Also, T4 revealed significantly (p<0.05) different across the diets on nutrient digestibility, proximate compositions of snail meat and the mineral composition of the snail meat compared to the other treatments. The study concluded that T4 (sweet potato leaves) significantly influences the performance, carcass characteristic and mineral compositions of the snail meat and should be recommended as snail diet for optimum performance at an affordable cost.