To Determine The Intake And Digestibility Of Cassava Peel Based Diets Containing Varying Quantities Of Palm Kernel Meal.

ABSTRACT

Goats and sheep play important role in livestock production system in Nigeria (Hossain et al., 2004). Majority of households domesticate groups of sheep and goats alongside their crops in a mixed farming system (Charry et aL, 1992).This suggests the relative importance of goats within the livestock economy in Nigeria. Nutrition is one of the most important factor that determine the profitability of livestock venture (Adii et al., 1987). The most difficult problem in ruminant production in the tropics is the scarcity of energy and protein feedstuffs during the dry season in particular. The available forages for most of the year are low in protein content with a marked decrease in voluntary intake and digestibility. Subsequently, the animal losses weight during the critical periods of the year. However the use of agricultural by — products like palm kernel cake have found their way in ruminant production Proteins derived from animal source are of higher nutritional quality than those from plant sources because of the difference in the amino acid I protein digestibility which is about 96% for animal protein and 65% for egetable proteins (Onwudike, 2010)