Growth Performance and Linear Measurements of Intact West African Dwarf Bucks Fed Varying Levels of Local Brewers’ Dried Grain with Ber (Ziziphus Jujube) Leaves Basal Diet

Babale DM* and Augustine C

Received: March 30, 2019;   Published: April 30, 2019

DOI: 10.32474/CDVS.2018.02.000146

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate growth performance of intact West African Dwarf bucks fed varying levels of local brewers’ dried grain with ber (Ziziphus jujube) leaves basal diet. Twelve (12) West African Dwarf bucks with average age of Twelve (12) months weighing 13 (+_0.7) Kg were used for the experiment. They were subjected to four experimental diets consisting of ber leaves (Ziziphus jujube) as basal diet, supplemented with local brewers’ dried grain at 50g, 100g, 150g and 200g designated as treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. These treatments were replicated three times each. These diets were fed to the animals throughout the experimental period of 63 days. At the end of the experimental period, harness bags were used in collecting faecal droppings to determine apparent digestibility of the test diets. Data obtained were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using a Randomized Complete Block Design using SAS (2001). Where significant differences occurred among means, Duncan Multiple Range Test was used to separate them. Total weight gain, average daily gain, feed conversion ratios, and feed efficiencies were influenced by the proportions of roughage and concentrate taken. While the dry matter intake of the supplemental diet (BDG) differed significantly (P<0.01) across treatments, those of the basal feed were similar (P>0.05) across treatments. Final live weights (FLW) differed (P<0.01) significantly across treatments with treatment T4 (16.43 Kg) the highest and treatment T1 (15.38 Kg) the lowest. The results also revealed that average daily weight gain (ADG), dry matter intake as percent of live weight (DMI%LVW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and dry matter digestibility were significantly (P<0.01) different across treatments. These parameters improved with increase in the levels of the supplemental diet. The diets were therefore suitable for fattening goats.

Keywords: Growth Performance; Linear Measurements; Intact West African Dwarf goats; Ber leaves and Brewers’ dried grain

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