ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different animal dung media on growth performance and serum biochemistry of earthworm (hyperiodrilus euryaulos) cultured in different animal dung media. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used and the experiment lasted for ten weeks. The different animal dung's used were; Rabbit, Poultry, Pig and Goat which was incorporated into garden soil and sterilized using heat, to eliminate bias. The earthworms were introduced into this different animal dung's at the weight of 0.5-1.Og and 1kg of diet was formulated using maize offal, wheat offal and PKC in a proportion of 0.35kg, 0.30kg and 0.35kg respectively, and the feed was sprinkled on each of the soil excreta. These animal dung's were designated as T1T2T3and T4respectively Data were collected at the end of the experiment for growth performance and serum biochemistry parameters Analysis of variance test (ANOVA) was carried out on the data collected using SPSS Statistical Software Package. From the result of the growth performance there was no significant (p>0.05) difference between average (mean) length harvested and the average (mean) length cultured. The average diameter in T²was lower whereas other treatments were significantly (p<0.05) similar. The increase in length was highest in T²followed by T⁴and T³ respectively. The increase in diameter was in descending order as T³, T4and T¹were significantly similar. The total weight harvested was highest in T¹ followed by T⁴ and T²having no significant difference between them and least in T³. From the serum biochemistry result, it shows that the total protein (2.54), creatinine (7.55), urea (58.30) and cholesterol (106.15) were highest in T² with blood glucose concentration less than T3 and T4. It implies that earthworms can do well in T² and T⁴ media in integrated farming (livestock production and vermiculture) especially T² (Catalan, 1980) should be preferred for choice of animal dung for vermiculture for animal feeding because the choice of culture material bedding affect growth and chemical composition (Ulep, 1982).