ORGAN WEIGHT CHANGES OF WEANER PIGS FED DIET CONTAINING GRADED LEVELS OF COMBINED YAM PEEL AND SWEET POTATO PEEL MEAL COMBINATION

Abstract

Nutritionists focusing on animal health in Nigeria face ongoing challenges in finding alternative feeding solutions for monogastric animals, particularly pigs. To address this, a study was conducted using 24 weaner pigs to assess the effects of incorporating a combination of yam peel and sweet potato peel meal into a maize-based diet on organ weights. The total of twenty-four pigs were divided into four dietary groups, each replicated three times, with two pigs per replicate, following a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The diets consisted of a maize-based diet (D1) and three experimental diets where the maize was partially replaced with a combination of yam peel and sweet potato peel meal at levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15%, respectively (D2, D3, and D4). The proximate composition and gross energy content of the combined sweet potato peel and yam peel meals were as follows: crude protein: 9.11 %, ether extract 1.20 %, crude fibre 3.47 %, ash 6.89 %, dry matter 89.10 % and gross energy 3.010 Kcal/kg. Anti-nutritional factors present in the meal included hydrogen
cyanide (0.23 mg/kg), phytates (0.56 %), tannins (0.46 %), and Heamagglutinins (0.47 mg/hu). Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in organ weights between the control and experimental groups, except for the heart and lungs. The spleen weights did not display a consistent pattern attributable to the test ingredient. However, the liver and kidney weights of pigs fed the experimental diets were higher than those on the control diet. Nonetheless, the observed enlargement of kidney and liver suggested that weaner pigs may have limited tolerance to the test ingredient
beyond 10%.