ABSTRACT

Twelve kids, four each of Red Sokoto, (RS x WAD) F1 crosses and West African Dwarf were used in a 12 week study to determine the influence of Bambaranut based creep diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and serum and biochemical blood profile. The kids, as separated, were housed individually on cement floored pens with their dams. The animals had fresh drinking water ad-libitum. The diet was formulated to contain 30% of Bambaranut offal with other constituents and each kid was offered 150g of the creep diet daily. The kids were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and subsequently weekly. The animals were bled at 82nd day of the study while nutrient digestibility trial was carried on the 84th day. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significant means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Results obtained showed that total weight gain (TWG), average daily weight gain (ADWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) differed significantly (P<0.05) among treatment groups. TWG (2.10kg), ADWG (25.01g/day) and FCR (4.24) were superior (P<0.05) for Red Sokoto kids relative to RS x WAD crossbred kids (0.75kg, 8.93g/day and 14.01) and WAD (0.49kg, 5.80g/day and 13.49) respectively. These parameters were lowest in the WAD kids. Nutrient digestibility (%) also differed (P<0.05) among treatment groups. The coefficient of digestibility of dry matter (76.56%), crude fibre (31.63%), nitrogen free extract (16.08%) and digestible energy (98.2%) were generally higher for RS kids (T1), relative to F1 crosses (T2) (84.10%) and WAD kids (T3) (71.78%). Except for Lymphocytes and Monocytes, all haematological parameters were not influenced (P<0.05) by treatments. Glucose, serum urea, creatinine and cholesterol however differed (p<0.05) significantly among treatments groups. Values obtained for haematological and biochemical blood profile in this study were within recommended levels for goats and indeed kids. Bambaranut offal based creep diet improved the growth performance in Red Sokoto Kids relative to RS x WAD F1crosses and WAD kids. Therefore, the above recommendations offered should be sustained: effective utilization of Bambaranut offal as alternative or replacement to expensive conventional feed stuff as well as 30% inclusion of bambaranut offal in goat nutrition indeed kids. Achievement of higher inclusion level of bambaranut offal in creep diet is subject of further research.