DRIED POULTRY WASTE VERSUS GROUNDNUT CAKE AS PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT FOR GRAZING WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS AND SHEEP

Abstract

IN two separate experiments dried poultry waste (DPW) from caged-layer units was evaluated as a protein supplement for small ruminants. In experiment 1, nine goats divided into three groups of three animals each were randomly assigned to three diets containing 0,25, and 30% DPW in three periods of 17 days per period. Experiment 2 involved eight sheep, six of which were grazed and in addition fed in pairs to each of three diets containing 0, 20 and 30% DPW over a period of 12 weeks. The remaining two sheep were maintained solely on grazing during the same period of time.  Dry matter intake and digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, other extract as well as liveweight gains and feed efficiency were not significantly different among the different treatments in experiment 1. Digestibility of nitrogen free extract was however significantly (P 0.05) different. In experiment 2, the control diet was consumed significantly (P 0.01) more than the diet containing 20% DPW. In general, intake decreased as DPW inclusion increased, but performance of animals on DPW supplemented remained as good or even better than those on the control diet. While supplementation produced on increase in liveweight gain of between 48-58% over initial bodyweight in 12 weeks, grazing alone promoted an overall in increase of 0.04% only during the same period.