BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SOKOTO RED BUCKS FED GRADED LEVELS OF UREA TREATED GROUNDNUT SHELL (ARACHIS HYPOGEA)

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the biochemical parameters of Red Sokoto Bucks fed graded levels of urea treated groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) shell. The shell was treated by dissolving 2.5kg of urea in 50L of water and used to ferment the shell which weighed 50g/kg. In the study three treatment diets were formulated containing T1 untreated groundnut shell (UNTGNS), T2 (10%) urea treated groundnut shell (UTGNS), and 20% urea treated groundnut shell (UTGNS). Twelve (12) Sokoto Red goat (Bucks) were used and randomly assigned to three treatments diets with three animals per treatment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). All appropriate management practices were observed during the period of the feeding trial that lasted 84 days. Blood was collected through the jugular vein of three randomly selected ones from the experimental animals in the morning for serum biochemical analysis. The result indicated that there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the total bilirubin, AST and albumin among the treatments. The key findings indicated that dietary inclusion of urea treated groundnut shell for up to 20% had no adverse effect on the kidney and liver functions of the animals. Goats can then be fed diets that contain up to 20% level of inclusion in view of the positive results from the growth trial using in this same study.