Cost Benefit of Feeding Uda Rams with Camel’s Foot Pod Meal (CFPM) As a Replacement for Soybean Meal

Abstract

The replacement value of Camel’s foot pod meal for soya bean meal was determined using sixteen (16) Uda rams with an average weight of 30.00 kg in a complete randomized design. The animals were divided into four groups and housed individually with four animals per group to four treatment diets with Camel’s Foot Pod Meal (CFPM), replacing soybean meal at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60% tagged as diet 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. The concentrate diets was fed to each animal at 1.5% body weight with rice straw serving as basal diet for the animals for 12 weeks. Record of feed intake and weekly body weight gain were taken throughout the 12 weeks of the feeding trial. Feed to gain ratio was calculated from the ratio of the total feed intake per day to average daily weight gain. Cost analysis was carried out using the current market cost of feed ingredients. All the data collected were subjected to analysis of variance. The daily feed intake (1066.44g) and average weight gain (5.00kg) were higher in diet 4 than the control diet. The highest cost of feed per live weight gain was recorded in diet 1 (N1577.58) and the least was recorded in diet 4 (N1134.70). The cost of feed consumed increased (p<0.05) as the inclusion level of CFPM decreased but does not follow a definite pattern with the highest value (N70.43) obtained in diet 2 and the least cost in diet 4 (N67.57). The results of feeding graded levels of CFPM to Uda rams showed a comparable performance in terms of feed intake, live weight changes and cost benefit between those on the control diet. The optimum weight gain and efficient utilization of the diets was achieved in diet 4 at 60% replacement level of CFPM.