ABSTRACT

Eight Landrace boars at 28 weeks of age were housed in individual pens. They were randomly divided into two treatments with 4 boars per treatment and 2 boars per replicate. The eight boars were fed ,vith experimental diet formulated in the form containing 16% and 20% crude protein. The lirst treatment fed with 16% crude protein while the second treatment was fed with 20% crude protein with 2407.5 kcal/kg metabolisable energy. Feeding. ,vatcring and collection of left over feed were carried out on daily basis: while weighing. measurements and collection or semen samples. analyzing semen quality were done fortnightly. The experiment lasted for 16 weeks. The result showed that then: was a progressive increase in the mean body weights or the boars ranging from 58.5 kg to 80.0 kg and from 58.4 kg to 75.5 kg observed from 28 to 38 week of age. Feed consumption also increased from 25.20 kg to 26.8 kg. However. there was no significant ( P>0.05) effect or the feed on the body weight recorded in boars fed 16% crude protein diet compared with those led 20% trtu.Jc protein. There was a higher numcri<.:al hody weight gain recorded in animals led ·with 16% crude protein than with 20% crude protein ( 4.17 J0.47 kg vs. 3.88 + 0.23 kg). It was also found that increasing the dietary cruck protein concentration from 16% to 20% did not significantly (P-0.05 correlate with body weight. feed conversion and semen variables that were measured in the boars: The semen from both treatments maintain~d a constant creamy white coloration with no odour than the boar odour but was viscous which inc.li<.:alcd high spermatozoa density in the semen lluid. The performances of the boar were optimized when they were fed diet containing c 1 6% crude protein.