NUTIREINT INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY OF RED SOKOTO GOATS FED CRAB GRASS (DIGITARIA HORIZONTALIS), SUPPLEMENTED WITH DIETS CONTAINING GRADED LEVELS OF BOABAD (ADANSONIA DIGITATA)SEED MEAL

Abstract

The study evaluated the nutrient intake and digestibility of Red Sokoto goats fed diets containing graded levels of Boabad ( Adansonia digitata) seed meal . Sixteen growing Red Sokoto goats aged between 7 to 9 months, with a weight range of 6.8 - 7.5Kg were , randomly allotted into four (4) treatments of 4 goats each, Four concentrate diets were formulated containing 0, 5, 10, and 15 % boabad seed meal,The goats were fed 500g Digitaria horizontalis ( Crab grass) at 8 AM and followed 1 hour later with the concentrate at 200g/goat/day The goats were fitted with harnesses for feacal collection in the Last 2 weeks of the experiment. Samples of the feed and feaccal collection were analysed for their proximate composition using the methods outlined by AOAC,(2000), the fibre was further anaylsed in to its fractions using the method of Van Soest et al, (1991). The nutrient intake and digestibility values were calculated from the proximate values ant feed intake of the goats, ,Data were analysed using the statistical package , SPSS, version 23,( 2015), treatment means that were significant were separated using least significant differences (LSD) contained in the same statistical package.The experiment was conducted at the Small Ruminants Unit of the livestoclk Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe state, Nigeria. The nutrient intake by the animals were adequate. Dry matter digestibility values ranged from 39.96 – 48.46% and were significantly different It was concluded that inclusion of boabad seed meal in supplement diets for Red sokoto goats up to 15% level of inclusion had no adverse effects on the nutrient intake, and feed digestibility of the goats. Cocked boabad seed meal can be included in supplement diets for Red Sokoto goats up to 15% level of inclusion .Further research should explore other processing methods for Boabad seeds.