ABSTRACT

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of Red Sokoto goats fed grass forages and concentrate supplements formulated from two industrial by-products. In experiment 1, twelve weaner goats, aged 5 months and averaging 5.5kg in weight, were fed basal grass diets ofPanicum maximum and Andropogon gayaims supplemented with concentrates compounded from bambara groundnut offal (BNO) and palm kernel take (PKC). The 2x2 factorial experimerA, which lastod tor 9\ days, had grass forages and concentrate diets, as the main effect. Parameters investigated were total, weekly and average daily feed intake as well as total, weekly and daily weight gain. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was also computed for the four treatment groups. The level of feeding was 3% body weight of each animal. Results showed that total, weekly and daily feed intake were influenced (p< 0.05) by dietary concentrate; the values were 24.20, 16.45kg; 1.86, 1.26kg; and 260, 178g, respectively for goats fed BNO and PKC concentrate diets. The interactions between concentrate diets and grass forages were also significant (p<0.05); goats fed BNO diet and P. maximum recorded highest total (26.08kg), weekly (2kg) and average daily feed intake (280g); these values did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from those of animals fed BNO diet and/I. gayanus (22.32kg, 1.71kg, 240g, respectively). The lowest total, weekly and daily feed intake (14.41kg, 1.10kg, 153g, respectively) were obtained in goats fed PKC diet and P. maximum. The observed values were however similar (p>0.05) to corresponding figures recorded for the animals fed combination of PKC diet and A. gayanus. Similarly, total, weekly and average daily weight gain, as well as feed conversion ratio, also differed significantly (p<0.05) among treatment groups. Average daily weight gain (gid) was higher for goats fed BNO diet (55.12) relative to those fed PKC diet (39.05); the concentrate - grass interaction was also significant (p<0.05) with corresponding values as BNO x A. gayanus (52.33), BNO x P. maximum (57.90), PKC x A. gayanus (48.43) and PKC x P. maximum (29.67). The goats fed PKC diet in combination with A. gayanus, utilized feed most efficiently (FCR = 4.18), relative to goats on the other treatment diets. In experiment 2, four weaner goats were used in a study to determine intake and digestibility ofthe treatment diets used in experiment I The diets were assigned to the animals in a 4x4 latin square experiment. Parameters examined were feed and dry matter intake, N- intake/ digestibility and N- balance status of each treatment group. Results showed that except for faecal nitrogen, all other parameters investigated were not influenced by dietary regimen (p<0.05). Ail treatment groups had adequate dry matter fill (3% body weight) and positive N- balance status. Diet 2 (Bambara groundnut offal concentrate supplemented with P. maximum), however, yielded the least faecal -N (1.40g/d) and relatively highest N- digestibility (84.97%) and N-balance (8.34g/d), in comparative terms.