ABSTRACT

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of cassava peel-cassava leaf meal based diets on nuiricnl intake and digestibility, carcass and milk yield ofWAD goats were evaluated. In experiment 1, four West African Dwarf (WAD) bucks averaging 8.0 kg and aged between 6-8 months were used to determine the intake and digestibility of cassava peel-cassava leafmeal based diets. The four- diets (A,B,C and D) were formulated to contain cassava peel, palm kernel cake, brewers dried grain, bone meal, soy bean meal, common salt and 0,10,20 and 30% cassava leaf meal, respectively. The diets were assigned individually to the four animals in metabolism cage in a 4x4 Latin Square Design Experiment. Body weight, daily feed intake and daily nitrogen balance were measured. The study showed that incorporation of cassava leaf meal in cassava peel based diets generally enhanced feed intake in WAD goats. The dry matter intake (DMI), faecal-N, absorbed- N and N-balance values increased in the goats as the N-intake increased. The apparent N-digestibility did not follow any definite pattern. Diet A had the highest (50.86%) value followed by B (50.54%), C (48.41%) and D (41.71%). These values were statistically similar (P>0.05). The faccal-N values differed significantly (P<0.05). These values were 2.53, 2.95, 3.12 differ significantly (P>0.05) while those of CF, NFE and energy differed significantly (P<0.05) among experimental animals. The metabolic faecal nitrogen (MFN) (g/lOOgDM), endogenous urinary, nitrogen (El^N) (g/day/Wkg075) and digestible crude protein (DCP) (g/day/Wkg075) values for maintenance were 0.25; 0.142,0. 89; 0.26, 0.0279,1.79; 0.32, 0.0232, 1.09 and 0.30, 0.0301,2.01 respectively for diets A, B, C and D. All the diets promoted positive N- balance. The cassava leafmeal fed diets required 1.81 times as much DCP, yielded i. 17times as much MFN and 0.19 times as much EUN as the' control animals for maintenance. In experiment 2, twelve weaner bucks aged 6 - 8 months and averaging 8.0kg in weight were divided into 4 groups of 3, and each group randomly assigned to one of the treatment diets as in experiment 1 and fed for a period of 60 days. Parameters measured were average daily weight gain (ADWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed cost per kg gain (N) and dressing percentage. ADWG were 34.17, 50.00. 62.50 and 66.67g for diets A, B, C and D, respectively. The values were significantly different (P<0.05). The group on diet D had the least FCR (3.58) which did not differ significantly (P<0.05) from the group on diet C (3.69) but differed significantly (P<0.05) i from the group on diet B (4.55) and A (6.50). Feed cost /kg gain (N) was least for the group on diet D ($429.96) and highest for the group on diet A (£471.45). Dressing percentage did not differ significantly (P>0.05) among treatment groups but the group on diet C had the highest dressing percentage (47.77%) which means that diet C performed better than the other diets as a fattening diet. Bone to lean ratio was highest (0.008) for the group on diet A which had the highest feed conversion ratio while the groups oh diets D and C which had comparable feed conversion ratios had the lowest bone to lean ratio. In experiment 3, four lactating WAD does were housed individually in pens and were assigned to the experimental diets as in experiment 2 in a 4x4 Latin Square Experiment and fed for 56 days. Drinking water was offered liberally. Milk yield (MY) was measured and analyzed weekly for total solids (TS), butterfat (BF), crude protein (CP) solids-not-fat (SNF), lactose, ash and energy. Simple linear regression was used to ascertain the degree of relationships between MY and milk constituents. The MY did not significantly differ (PXJ.05) among the treatment groups. The group on diet D (30% CLM) recorded the highest milk yield I (134.99g/d) while those on diet B (10%CLM) recorded the lowest milk yield (119.73g/d).The group on diet D with the highest MY had the lowest TS and BF (12.35%, 4.77%) while the group on diet B with the least MY had the highest TS and BF values (12.81%, 4.92%). Apart from lactose which was significantly different (P<0.05) among the treatments, other milk constituents did not differ significantly (P>0.05) among the treatment groups. The relationship between MY and various milk constituents indicated negative correlation between MY and TS, MY and BF, MY and SNF, MY and lactose. However, these correlations were not significant (P>0.05). Positive correlation existed between BF and TS, milk protein and TS, milk energy and TS, lactose and SNF, milk energy and BF, BF and milk protein. Milk protein and BF were highly significant (PO.OOl) and positively correlated. Milk protein and SNF were negative and significantly correlation while a significant positive correlation existed between BF and milk protein. Diet D (30% CLM) which gave the highest TClY and diet C with the best dressing-out percentage are recommended.