M. B. YOUSUF1, M. A. BELEWU1, A. H. A. GBADAMOSI2 and N. I. OGUDUN3
1 Department of Animal Production, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
2 School of Vocational Studies, College of Education, Ilorin, Nigeria
3 Animal Production Technology Department, School of Wild life Management, New Bussa Nigeria
YOUSUF, M. B., M. A. BELEWU, A. H. A. GBADAMOSI and N. I. OGUDUN, 2007. Replacing cotton seed cake with cassava leaf meal in corn bran based diet fed to the goat. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 13: 231-236
A 56-day dry matter and nutrients intake and digestibility, nitrogen retention and growth performance study was carried out to assess the replacement value of cassava leaf meal for cotton seed cake in a corn bran-based concentrate diet fed to goats. Twenty male West African Dwarf goats aged, 6 - 8 months with average initial live weight of 8.74 ± 0.41 Kg were divided into five dietary groups comprising of four treatments plus a control. Treatments consisted of cassava leaf meal that was used to replace increasing percentage levels (25, 50, 75 and 100) of crude protein supply from cotton seed cake in the control diet. The control and treatment diets at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % replacement levels were designated as A, B, C, D, and E respectively. The effects of treatments on dry matter intake were similar (P > 0.05) but differed (P < 0.05) on dry matter digestibility (57.24, 61.71, 65.11 66.14 and 68.83 at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % replacement levels respectively). Crude protein digestibility (%) was highest (59.77) for goats on Diet C in which 50 % of the cotton seed cake was replaced with cassava leaf meal and lowest for those on the control Diet A (48.72). Efficiency of feed conversion was higher (P < 0.05) for goats in groups B, C, D or E receiving cassava leaf meal treatment than for the control group, A. Nitrogen retention (g/day) improved (P <0.05) from 2.74 in the control group to 3.05 and 3.51 in goats on Diets C and D respectively resulting in 26 and 45 % body weight gain advantage over the control group. The results indicated that cotton seed cake could be successfully replaced with cassava leaf meal in the diets of West African Dwarf goats as reflected in improved dry matter and crude protein digestibility, nitrogen retention and body weight gain with a higher efficiency of feed conversion. A 100 % replacement level was shown to be feasible.