Growth Performance and Bio-Economic Indices of Varying Mixtures of Grass-Legume Pellets Fed to West African Dwarf (Wad) Goats

Abstract

The need to improve forage conservation for animal usage during the dry season is a necessity. Varied mixture of grass-legume pellets (60% Panicum maximum (6Pm); 30% Panicum maximum + 30% Lablab purpureus (3Pm3Lp); 40% Panicum maximum + 20% Lablab purpureus (4Pm2Lp); 40% Panicum maximum + 20% Stylosanthes hamata (4Pm2Sh) and 30% Panicum maximum + 30% Stylosanthes hamata (3Pm3Sh)) were used to assess growth performance and bio-economic indices of varied mixtures of grass-legume pellets fed to West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Thirty (30) WAD goats (aged 6-7 months) were used and the experimental design was a Completely Randomized Design. Data obtained were crude protein, crude fibre, ash, minerals, dry matter intake (DMI), crude protein intake (CPI), protein efficiency ratio (PER), cost of feed/weight gain (CF/W) and analyzed by one way ANOVA. 3Pm3Sh pellets had the highest (p<0.05) CP (17.32%) while 6 Pm had the highest (p<0.05) values of fibre fractions except for hemicellulose. There was no significant influence on the mineral contents except for iron, copper and chlorine. WAD goats fed 3Pm3Sh had the highest (p<0.05) DMI (458.72g/animal/day), CPI (76.72g/animal/day) and PER (0.91) which resulted in highest (p<0.05) weight gain (3.82kg). The cost of feed/weight gain was similar across the pellets except for 3Pm3Lp. Higher (p<0.05) CF/W was recorded for 3Pm3Lp. The study concluded that the grass-legume pellets can be employed as ruminant feed while pellet of 3Pm3Sh is the best grass-legume combination for WAD goats. Thus, this pellet can be fed to WAD goats during the dry season.

Keywords: WAD goats, pellet, Panicm maximum, Lablab purpureum, Stylosanthes hamata

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-24-09

Publication date: December 31^st 2019