ABSTRACT

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the effect of two nitrogenous sources (Aichornia cordifolia leaf meal and blood meal) on Zyminomonas inohilis with cassava peel as substrate, and as feed component for growing WAD lambs. The life-enzyme preparation utilized 9 fermentation vats (Average vol. = 3.5 litre vat) and were distributed to 3 treatments (A, B and C ).The ground cassava peels were assigned to the 9 fermentation vats to obtain 500g weight vat'. One hundred grams each of the blood meal was added to the Treatment C vats, with the same equivalent value of Aicornia cord,fbiia leaf meal added in Treatment B vats. Two litres of water (1-120) each was added to the 9 vats with 5 Og of the innoculurn to act as starter, also include in the Treatment A with only the cassava peel without the nitrogenous source. The samples were hornogenously mixed after which 1 00g weight of each sample was obtained, then oven-dried at 48 hours interval uptill the 6 day of the study at the ambient temperature of 25.5°C to 26°C. The samples were chemically analyzed. The result of the life-enzyme gained/yield was generally significant (P<0.05) and was highest on the Treatment C (ii .5700g). There was significant different (P><0.05) on the total fat utilization where the Treatment B (0.7453g) had the highest. The total carbohydrate utilization was best on Treatment B (59.7900g) with xi significant different (P><0.05). Where the efficiency of substrate utilization showed the lowest on Treatment C (4.4500) at 5% significant different. The protein efficiency ratio was high at Treatment C (6.4200) at 5% significant different among treatments. While the fat efficiency ratio was highest in Treatment B (1.4867) with significant different (P><0.05). The data analysis in naira (N) of 500g per product revealed that the cost of production was highest in Treatment C (N9.5000) and showed significant different at 5%. The gross margin was found highest as in the Treatment C N50.6667) and was significant at 5% as noted in this study. The cost differential (N15.8600) and revenue (N60. 1667) of the life-enzyme produced followed similar trend (P>0.05) as in the cost of product and gross margin respectively. On the feeding trial, the life-enzyme products were generally acceptable at 50% of the diets, and further revealed no unhealthy characteristic. Therefore, is recommendable to the Nigerian farmer as components of the lamb diet.