ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding maggot meal (MM) and dried poultry waste (DPW) to West African Dwarf (WAD) goats in a 21-day feeding trial. Three diets containing 0, 0 (A); 10, 0 (B) and 0, 10 (C) percentages of MM, DPW were formulated and fed to the WAD goats in a 3 X 3 Latin Square arrangement. The animals were confirmed separately in metabolism crates and feed consumption, faecal and urine outputs were measured daily while body weight changes were measured weekly. The samples of the test ingredients, diets and faeces were analysd for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free-extract (NFE), ash and energy. The results showed that the MM and DPW contained respectively 90. 44 and 90. 18% DM; 31. 47 and 14. 20% CP; 14. 97 and 15. 22% CF; 3. 08 and 3. 28% EE, 26. 70 and 43. 50% NFE; 14. 22 and 13. 98% ash and 1. 59 and 1. 52 MJkg 1DM of energy. The control, diet A contained 9. 48% CP while diets B and C contained 9. 57 and 7. 68% CP respectively. The CP contents of the diets were able to meet the minimum CP requirement for constant rumen microbial function. All the nutrients evaluated in the experimental diets (DM, CP, CF. EE, NFE and Energy) were digested to the same extent (P> 0. 05). However, the CP of diet B appeared to be digested better than CP of diets A and C. Similarly, energy digestibility appeared to be better in diet A (52. 47%) than diet B (48. 85%) or diet C (45. 78%). Dry matter intake (DM1) (g/day) favoured diet A (346. 05) than for diet B (320. 15) and diet C (308. 89). Though statistical differences (P < 0. 05) existed among the treatments for DM1, the diets were able to meet the requirement of 3 - 4% DM1 as percentage of body weight for meat goats. The nitrogen intakes (glday) were 5. 58, 5. 31 and 4. 14 for treatments A, B and C respectively and these values differed significantly (P < 0. 05). Faecal nitrogen outputs (g/day) were 2. 76, 2. 34, and 2. 88 while urine nitrogen outputs (g/day) were 0. 68, 1. 05, 0. 65 for animals on diets A, B and C respectively. Both faecal and urine nitrogen outputs were similar (P > 0. 05). Animals in diet B recorded 2. 97 as against 2. 82 and 1. 26 (g!day) of absorbed nitrogen for animals in diets A and C. The values for nitrogen balance (g/day) were 2. 10, 1. 92 and 0. 61 for animals on diets A, B and C. Nitrogen absorbed and nitrogen balance (g/day) as well as absorbed nitrogen and nitrogen balance (g/day/kgW° 75) were all statistically different (P <0. 05). Apparent nitrogen digestibility values were 48. 80, 54. 50 and 30. 50% for diets A, B and C respectively. The values were similar statistically (P >0. 05). The experimental animals maintained positive nitrogen balance. It is therefore recommended that 10% MM or DPW be incorporated in the diets of goats as major sources of protein since the sources did not pose any health hazards.