ABSTRACT

An experimental study was earned out to investigate the effect of two nitrogenous sources (Alchornia cordifolia leaf meal and blood meal) on Zyinmomonas mobilis 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’1) 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'1. One hundred grams each of the blood meal was added to the Treatment C vats, with the same equivalent value of Alcornia cordifolia leafmeal added in Treatment B vats. Two litres ofwater (H2O) each was added to the 9 vats with 50g ofthe innoculum to act as starter, also include in the Treatment A with only the cassava peel without the nitrogenous source. The samples were homogenously mixed after which 100g weight of each sample was obtained, then oven-dried at 48 hours interval uptill the 6th day ofthe study at the ambient temperature of25.5°C to 26°C. The samples were chemically analyzed. The result ofthe life-enzyme gained/yield was generally significant (P<0.05) and was highest on the Treatment C (11.5700g). 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 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) ofthe 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 ofthe lamb diet.