Performance of West African Dwarf Goats Fed Pleurotus tuber-regium Biodegraded Rice Straw and Maize Offal: Brewer Yeast Slurry Mixture

Aim: To assess the growth performance of West African Dwarf Goats (WAD) fed rice straw biodegraded using Pleurotus tuber-regium (PTTRS) and maize offal mixed with fluid brewers’ yeast slurry in a 1:1 ratio (MOBYS).

Study Design: Completely Randomized Design.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Sheep and Goat Unit section of the University of Agriculture Makurdi Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Makurdi, Nigeria. Makurdi is located at Latitude 7º 43¹ N and Longitude 8º 31¹ E. The Experiment lasted for 90 days.

Methodology: Twenty four West African Dwarf (WAD) goats weighing 8.05 kg on the average were allotted to six groups of four goats per treatment in a completely randomized design for the study. The six dietary treatment groups were fed varying levels of MOBYS, and ad libitum, untreated rice straw (UTRS) and Pleurotus tuber-regium treated rice straw (PTTRS) thus: T1= 100 g MOBYS and UTRS (control) ad libitum, T2=100 g MOBYS and PTTRS ad libitum, T3=200 g MOBYS and UTRS ad libitum, T4=200 g MOBYS and PTTRS ad libitum, T5=300 g MOBYS and UTRS ad libitum, and T6=300 g MOBYS and PTTRS ad libitum. Parameters measured were Average daily feed intake (ADF), Average Daily body Weight Gain (ADBWG), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and Average daily water intake (ADWI).

Results: Fungal treatment of rice straw together with MOBYS significantly (P=.05) improved the daily feed intake, daily body weight gain and daily water intake from 224.20 g to 396.10 g, 13.20 g to 27.20 g and 620 ml to 1050 ml in T1 and T6 respectively.

Conclusion: Combined feeding of the PTTRS and MOBYS to goats in confinement significantly improved feed intake, body weight gain, water intake and feed conversion ratio thereby portraying the feeding regime as a reliable dry season feed.