Effects of supplementing cassava peels with cassava leaves and cowpea haulms on the performance, intake, digestibility and nitrogen utilization of West African Dwarf goats.

A 16-week experiment was conducted to determine the utilization of ratios of cassava leaf meal, cassava peel and cowpea haulms by West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Thirty WAD bucks aged 8 ± 1.3 months with body weights of 6-6.5 ± 0.12 kg were divided into five groups of six animals and each group randomly assigned to one of the treatments in a completely randomized design. The five dietary treatments were formulated to contain cassava peels, leaves and cowpea haulms at different proportions of 700:100:175 (T1), 500:200:275 (T2), 300:300:375 (T3) and 100:400:475 (T4) g/kg dry matter (DM), respectively. A standard diet formulated to meet the nutrient requirement of the animals with no cassava and cowpea haulms was used as the control diet (T5). DM intake ranged from 316.16 to 458.73 g/day and significantly increased (linear (L), quadratic (Q), cubic (C): P < 0.05) as the inclusion of cassava peels reduced and cassava leaves and cowpea haulms increased in the diets. The crude protein (CP) intake significantly increased (L, Q, C: P < 0.05) as the inclusion of cassava peels reduced and cassava leaves and cowpea haulms increased in the diets. Growth rate values significantly (L: P < 0.05; Q: P < 0.01) ranged from 21.55 g/day in T1 to 43.09 g/day in T4. The feed conversion ratio was significantly (L, Q: P <0.01) lowest in T4 (11.35) and was highest in animals in T5 (14.33). Dry matter digestibility significantly (L, Q, C: P < 0.05) ranged from 78.94 to 89.52 %. The digestibility increased as the inclusion of cassava leaves and cowpea haulms increased and reduced cassava peels in the diets. The highest N intake of 14.75 g/day obtained in T4 was significantly (L: P < 0.01; Q, C: P < 0.05) different from the values of 9.26, 10.56, 11.31 and 12.02 in T1, T2, T3 and T5, respectively. Nitrogen balance values significantly (L, Q, C: P < 0.05) ranged from 2.75 g/day in T1 to 9.15 g/day in T4. It is recommended that cassava peels, leaves and cowpea haulms in the proportion of 100:400:475 g/kg DM improved the growth and digestibility of WAD goats and can therefore be used to sustain animal performance during the dry season in a total mixed ration.

Haematological and serum biochemical parameters of West African Dwarf goats fed dried cassava leaves-based concentrate diets.

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding different levels of dried cassava leaves at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60%, respectively, using guinea grass as basal feed, on the haematological and serum biochemical parameters of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. The study lasted for 116 days during which haematological and serum biochemical parameters were monitored in 40 male goats before and after, using a completely randomized design. At the start of the experiment, packed cell volume (PCV) ranged from 21.5% to 25.5% while haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and RBC significantly (P < 0.01) ranged from 7.3 to 8.6 g/dl and 10.4 to 13.2 × 10(12)/l, respectively. White blood cells reduced significantly (P < 0.05)) from 16.4 to 11.7 × 10(9)/l) as dried cassava leaves increased in the diets. At the end of the trial, there was a slight increase in the values of PCV and Hb in the diets (P > 0.05). Lymphocyte reduced significantly (P < 0.05) from 50.0% to 63.5% in the diets. Neutrophils, however, increased (P > 0.05) at the 0% to 40% levels and reduced at the 60% level of dried cassava leaves inclusion. At the start of the experiment, values for glucose significantly (P < 0.05) ranged from 40.1 to 56.0 mg/dl. Total protein and albumin values ranged significantly (P < 0.05) from 56.0 to 68.5 g/dl and 30.6 to 38.4 g/dl, respectively. At the end of the experiment, serum creatinine increased significantly (P < 0.05) as the level of dried cassava leaves increased from 0% to 60% in the diets. The study revealed that inclusion of dried cassava leaves in the diets of West African Dwarf goats had no deleterious effects on the haematological and serum biochemical parameters of WAD goats and could therefore be included in ruminant diets up to 60%.

Effect of dietary monensin inclusion on performance, nutrient utilisation, rumen volatile fatty acid concentration and blood status of West African dwarf bucks fed with basal diets of forages.

This experiment investigated the effect of dietary monensin on performance, nutrient utilisation, rumen volatile fatty acid and blood status in West African dwarf (WAD) goats fed with basal diets of forages. Four concentrate supplements were formulated to include 0 (MO), 15 (M15), 30 (M30) and 45 (M45) mg monensin/kg dry matter. Twenty-four WAD bucks (7.3 ± 1.20 kg initial body weight, aged 9-12 months) were randomly allotted to four experimental diets in a completely randomised design for 90 days, six animals per diet. Results indicated that animals fed M15, M30 and M45 diets had lower (P < 0.01) dry matter and water intake than those fed M0 diet. Crude protein and neutral detergent fibre intakes by the bucks followed similar trend. Animals on M15, M30 and M45 had better (P < 0.001) feed and protein efficiency ratio than those fed M0 diet. Rumen pH and total volatile fatty acid concentration were maintained (P > 0.05) while monensin decreased (P < 0.001) acetate/propionate ratio. Blood glucose increased (P < 0.001) from 59.1 mg/dl in animals on M0 diet to 67.8, 66.0 and 66.3 mg/dl in animals on M15, M30 and M45 diets. Overall, there were no variations among animals on M15, M30 and M45 diets. It is concluded that feeding monensin at 15 to 45 mg/kg DM of supplemental concentrate diets to West African dwarf bucks could be effective in improving feed and protein efficiency, manipulating the rumen for increased propionate production and increasing blood glucose levels.