FEED INTAKE, WEIGHT GAIN AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY IN RED SOKOTO GOATS FED WOOLLY FINGER GRASS (DIGITARIA SMUTSII) WITH PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
Abstract:
Twenty Red Sokoto Goats (aged between 10 and 19 months and weighing an average of 12.00kg), were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments in a conpletely randomized design, to determine the effect of two types of protein supplements (cotton seed cake and blood meal) and their various combination on feed intake, growth and nutrient utilization by goats fed basal diet of fresh wooly finger grass (Digitaria smutsii). The dietary treatment groups were cotton seed cake (CC) only blood meal (BM) only and combination ratios of cotton seed cake and bloods meal (CB) 1:1, 2:1 and 1:2. The growth trial which lasted 91 days showed that total dry matter intake (DMT) (g/hd), crude protein intake (CPI) (g/hd) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were similar across treatments. Significant (P<o.05) difference in daily weight gain (g/hd) was only noticed between the goats fed ratio 1:2 and BM. The result of the metabolism trial showed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DMD), organic matter (OMD), neutral detergent fibre (NDFD) and acid detergent fibre (ADFD). Crude protein digestibility (CPD) were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the goats fed CC only and BM only than in the goats fed the mixtures. Faecal nitrogen in the goats fed CB 2:1 was significantly (P<0.05) higher than in those fed BM only. There were significant (P<0.05) treatment effect on the values of volatile fatty acids (VFA), five hours after feeding and those of rumen pH. However no treatment effect (P>0.05) was noticed on rumen ammonia values. In conclusion, the results of the studies indicate that feeding cotton seed cake and blood meal in concentrate in ratio 1:2 may enhance the growth performance of goats.
FEED INTAKE, WEIGHT GAIN AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY IN RED SOKOTO GOATS FED WOOLLY FINGER GRASS (DIGITARIA SMUTSII) WITH PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
