Effect of Feeding Diets Containing Graded Levels of Melon Seed Husk Meal on Performance of Feedlot Bunaji Bulls

Abstract

A 90-day study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding diets containing graded levels of melon seed husk meal on performance of feedlot Bunaji bulls. Eight Bunaji bulls aged two years and weighing 105 Kg on the average were randomly divided into four groups of two bulls each and allotted to four dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design in which each bull formed a replicate. Forages of elephant grass and water were offered ad libitum while concentrates containing the melon seed husk meal was fed at 3.0% body weight of the bulls. The experimental diet was formulated using maize offal, palm kernel meal, soya bean haulm, cowpea husk, soya meal, rice offal, melon seed husk, bone ash and table salt. The melon seed husk meal was included in the diets at 0, 5, 10 and 20% at the expense of palm kernel meal corresponding to T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. Results obtained at the end of the study showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the initial body weight, average daily forage intake, average daily feed intake, average daily body weight gain and final body weight. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the average daily concentrate and water intakes as well as feed conversion ratio whose values for T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 3.58, 4.15,3.92 and 3.66 kg, 13.06,13.39,12.39 and 13.82litresand 20.11, 16.87, 19.47 and 17.98 respectively. It was concluded that inclusion of melon seed husk meal in the diets enhanced the performance of the feedlot Bunaji bulls.