RED SOKOTO GOATS PERFORMED WELL WITHOUT COMPROMISED HEALTH WHEN FED WITH TWO CULTIVARS OF COWPEA HAULM

Abstract

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of feeding two cowpea haulm varieties on serum metabolites in Red Sokoto bucks. The experiment consisted of 15 Red Sokoto bucks of average weight of 10kg, which were balanced for weight and randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 5 bucks per treatment in a Complete Randomize Design (CRD). The 3 treatment diets consisted of Brachairia decumbens hay as basal diet and concentrate diets which were supplemented with cowpea haulms at 0% (Control), 10% (SAMPEA 14) and 10% (SAMPEA 15). The bucks were individually pen-fed with the experimental diets at 3% body weight for a period of 90 days before collection of serum parameters. Results indicated that, serum metabolites were not significantly different (P>0.05) both across the treatments. Bucks fed 10% SAMPEA 15 diet, had numerically the higher serum glucose level and blood urea nitrogen (8.47 vs 1.94 Mmol/L) followed by the bucks fed the diet containing 10% SAMPEA 14 inclusion (5.88 vs 1.83 Mmol/L) and the control group (5.27 and 1.60 Mmol/L) respectively. However, bucks fed 10% SAMPEA 14 inclusion level had numerically higher total protein (4.41 g/100ml) compared to other groups. It was concluded that, farmers should include 10% SAMPEA haulm in concentrate diet of Red Sokoto bucks to supplement low quality feed resources for better performance without compromising the health of the goats