Replacement Value Of Tigernut Meal (Cyperus Esculentus) With Maize Offal On Growth Response Of The West African Dwarf (Wad) Goats

ABSTRACT

In two separate studies, the effect of replacing maize offal with tigernut meal (TGM) in the diets of the West African Dwarf (WAD) bucks were evaluated. Four diets were formulated at 0, 10, 20 and 30 % levels of inclusion of TGM designated as diet s A, B, C and D respectively, three WAD bucks averaging 6.46 kg body weight were assigned randomly to each treatment diet in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) such that each animal was replicated three times. The growth performance parameters were measured. In a second trial, a 28-day digestibility study involving four bucks was carried out in a Latin Square Design arrangement. The nutrient digestibility of the diets was determined. The results showed no significant differences (P>0.05) between diet A (control) and the test diets (B, C and D) with respect to their proximate constituents. However, the ash (4.42, 4.38 and 4.56) and ether extract (4.28, 5.92 and 5.85) percentage were numerically higher in the test diets B, C and D respectively than the control diet (A) which recorded 2.61 and 3.63 % respectively. This difference could be attributed to the higher fat and mineral contents of the TGM compared to the maize offal. The TGM-based diets compared (P>0.05) favourably with the control diets in daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of the WAD bucks showing that the 30% level did not affect growth response adversely. 1-lowever, the FCR indicated an increasing trend as the level of the TGM increased. The l'GM-based diets significantly