Performance and Carcass Characteristics of West African Dwarf Goats Fed Cassava Peel Meal Partially Replaced with Sugarcane Peel Meal

Abstract

A 90-day feeding trial involving 20, 4-5-month old West African Dwarf bucks was carried out to evaluate the performance, carcass and its by-products characteristics expressed as percentage of their live weight in a completely randomized design. The animals were fed cassava peel meal partially replaced by sugarcane peel meal at dietary levels of 100, 75, 50, 25, 0 and 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% for T1, T2 T3 T4, respectively. The parameters measured were performance traits, carcass and by-products characteristics. From the parameters evaluated, feed intake (280.74-349.77 g/day), daily body weight gain (32.22-45.88 g/kg), total weight gain (3.17-4.13 kg), final body weight (11.38-12.33 kg), daily water intake (665.55-838.55 ml), and feed conversion ratio (7.63-8.83) were significantly affected. Carcass characteristics, loin, and back expressed as percentage live weight were significantly affected. While dressing percentage, live weight, carcass weight, rib, shoulder neck, thigh% and the by-products parameters evaluated which were also expressed as percentage live weight were not significantly affected. The non-enlargement of other visceral organs such as lungs, liver, heart, kidney, spleen, testes, full gut and empty gut in this study is an indication that, the peel meals does not have any negative effect on the development of the whole cuts. It is therefore, safe for goats’ feeding and could be incorporated as feeds ingredients in their feeding which can help, not only to reduce cost of production but also to increase meat production.