INTAKE AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY OF KONKAN KANYAL GOATS FED FINGER MILLET STRAW SUPPLEMENTED WITH VARYING LEVELS OF DRIED POULTRY DROPPING BASED DIETS

Abstract

This study was conducted to study the effects of dried poultry dropping based diets on the feed intake and nutrient digestibility of Konkan Kanyal goats fed finger millet straw. Thirty Konkan Kanyal goats aged above 12 months weighing 14.00-14.67 Kg were used in a randomized block design (RBD) experiment. The experimental goats were randomly assigned to five treatments (TI-T5). T1 were goats fed with 0 % dried poultry droppings based diets (DPDBD), T2 were fed with 20 % dried poultry droppings based diets (DPDBD), T3 were fed with 40 % dried poultry droppings based diets (DPDBD), T4 were fed with 60 % dried poultry droppings based diets (DPDBD), T5 were fed with 80 % dried poultry droppings based diets (DPDBD).Feed intake was monitored, digestibility coefficient was calculated. Mean feed intake was higher in treatment groups supplemented with dried poultry droppings based diet T2 (666.84), T3, (780.75), T4, (780.48), T5, (716.00), compared to the control treatment group T1, (588.58). Nutrient digestibility coefficient of the experimental animals was significantly (P<0.05) higher in treatment group supplemented with 40 % DPDBD (T3) for all the parameters measured compared to all other treatment groups. The results of this study suggests that feeding of dried poultry droppings based diets up to 80 % to theanimalswould give satisfactorily performance. However, superior performance was observed at 40 per cent inclusion. Furthermore, it was recommended to include the dried poultry droppings at 40 per cent in the diet of the animals for better improved performance