EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF Petiveria Alliacea (GUINEA HEN WEED) ON NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY OF GROWING PIGS

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A feeding trial was conducted using thirty-six unsexed large white x land race grower pigs with body weight range of 8.5-10kg and they were randomly allotted into four dietary treatments on weight equalization basis. The experimental diets consisting of Guinea hen weed leaf (GHW) supplemented at 0, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0% levels were tagged T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. Each treatment has nine pigs with three pigs each in each of the three replicates and were fed ad-libitum throughout the sixteen weeks experimental period. At 14th week, digestibility study was conducted using a pig per replicate housed in a metabolic cage. The pigs were fed with known weight of feed, the remains were weighed. Faecal outputs were also weighed. Cool, clean water was offered liberally to the pigs during the trial. The results of the experiment showed highest (p<0.05) crude protein digestibility of 79.24% in pigs offered diet T4 while the lowest (75.53%) was recorded in pigs fed the control diet (T1). The dry matter digestibility increased significantly (p<0.05) with increase in GHW supplementation in the diets.  Ether extract, crude fibre and ash digestibility reveals no significant (p<0.05) different irrespective of the supplementation levels of the GHW. However, the highest (69.24%) ether extract digestibility was recorded in pigs fed 0.75% GHW supplemented diet. Ash digestibility (71.42%) was best in pigs fed 0.5% GHW supplemented diet. It is therefore concluded that dietary supplementation of pig's diet with Guinea hen weed leaf meal up to 1% supported better nutrient digestibility.