Growth Performance of West African Dwarf (WAD) Sheep Fed Biodegraded <i>Enterolobium cyclocarpum</i> Based Diets

Abstract

The performance and economics of production of West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep was investigated in an experiment that lasted for 70 days. Twelve male sheep averaging 9.9 kg in liveweight and aged 7 -9 months were randomly assigned to four treatment groups in a completely randomized design with three animals per treatment. Chemical composition of diets, intake, liveweight gain and cost implication of feeding WAD sheep with grass, a conventional concentrate, an autoclaved and biodegraded Enterolobium cyclocarpum based diet were determined. The crude protein content of Guinea grass (4.43%) was relatively low compared to that of biodegraded Enterolobium cyclocarpum (14.13%). Total consumption and liveweight change were not significantly different (P < 0.05). The growth rate of animals fed concentrates were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those on the grass diet. Cost per Kg of feed was the highest for control and least for guinea grass diet. However, cost per unit gain was the highest for Guinea grass diet (N 176.73) and least for biodegraded Enterolobium cyclocarpum diet (N 72.62). It was cheaper to produce 1 kg mutton using biodegraded EC diets than control, autoclaved and guinea grass diets respectively. The results suggest that biodegrading of Enterolobium cyclocarpum improved its nutrient quality, utilization and the performance and economy of production of West African Dwarf sheep.

Nutrient Digestibility on West African Dwarf Bucks Fed Mango and Gmelina Leaves in Ficus Based Diets

“…According to Okoli et al (2003), these multipurpose trees could be considered as a more reliable feed resource of high quality to develop sustainable feeding systems and in increasing livestock productivity. More attention is now being given to trees and shrubs for feeding sheep and goats in most areas of the world with promising results (Ayuk et al, 2007).…”

Evaluation of growth, carcass and meat sensory characteristics of West African Dwarf bucks fed dietary Enterolobium cyclocarpum leaves

“…This tree also commonly known as Guanacaste or caro-caro is naturally found in humid and sub humid regions including Nigeria (Andreu et al, 2015). Arboretum of EC plants are established in South Western States (Ayuk et al, 2014) and some campuses of Nigerian Universities, such as the University of Uyo, South -South, tropical rainforest zone of Nigeria. The utilization of these natural resources such as EC in a rational and sustainable way is a viable option for obtaining profits in agricultural activities (FAO, 2012).…”

“…Based on the aforementioned, browses such as EC may or may not be readily accepted by livestock. Fortunately, the leaves, seeds and other parts of Enterolobium cyclocarpum have been efficiently utilized in ruminant nutrition studies with exciting results in animal preference, growth performance and carcass characteristics (Isah et al, 2011;Idowu et al, 2013;Ayuk et al, 2014;Ukanwoko and Okpechi, 2016;Udoh et al, 2020;Ekanem et al, 2020a),…”

Mineral Concentrations and Rumen Degradability of Biodegraded &lt;i&gt;Enterolobium cyclocarpum&lt;/i&gt; (Jacq) and &lt;i&gt;Pterocarpus santalinoides&lt;/i&gt; (L’Her) with &lt;i&gt;Aspergillus niger&lt;/i&gt;

“…The solid state fermentation has been shown to improve the nutritive value and sensory values of a wide variety of legumes [9]. Degradation of phytic acid by Rhizopus oligosporus [10] and tannins by A. niger has been reported [11] [12]. However, information on the mineral profiles and in sacco degradation of biodegraded products for ruminants is scarce.…”