Response of albino rats fed graded levels of raw sickle pod ( Senna obtusifolia) seed meal

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding raw Senna obtusifolia seed meal (RSOSM) on the productive performance, carcass characteristics and organ weights of albino rats. Five experimental diets were compounded to contain RSOSM at graded levels of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%designated asT1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. Sixty albino rats with an average body weight of 70.52 to 81.05 g were allotted to the five dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates of four rats each. The chemical composition and the anti-nutritional factors were determined. Parameters measured were feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, live weight, dressed weight, dressing percentage and organ weights (heart, liver, kidney and lungs).Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance. The productive performance, carcass characteristics and organ weights were observed to be significantly (P&lt;0.05) depressed as the level of RSOSM increased in the experimental diets. Albino rats fed 15 and 20% RSOSM significantly (P&lt;0.05) recorded the lowest feed intake, weight gain and dressing percentage of 241.60 g, 60.10 g and 78.84%, 74.46 and 212.82 g, 51.78 g and 75.38%, respectively. The weight of organs revealed a declining trend as the level of RSOSM increased except for the liver and intestinewhich indicated progressive increase in sizes as the level of RSOSMincreased in the diets. Albino rats fed 15 and 20% RSOSMrecorded the highest liver weight of 4.21 and 4.29 g. It can be concluded that inclusion of RSOSM beyond 5% in the diets of albino rats had adverse effects on their productive performance, carcass characteristics and organ weights.</jats:p

AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICA Nutrients evaluation of some common feed resources for cost effective feeding of ruminants in Mubi, Nigeria

ABTRACT The five most feed resources (Faidherbia albida, Cowpea husk, Sorghum husk, Cotton seed cake and groundnut haulms) in use for ruminants feeding in Mubi and environment were studied. Variations in nutrients values of the local ingredients necessitates the combination of two or more of the feed resources in order to optimize qualitative and quantitative feeds for the teaming ruminants animals in the area. Nine classes of diet were formulated based on measurement of the five feed resources. Diet 1: 3 tiya of sorghum husk and 2 tiya of cotton seed cake; Diet 2; 3 tiya of sorghum husk and 2 tiya of Acacia pods; Diet 3; 3tiya of sorghum husk plus tiya of cotton seed cake and 2 tiya of acacia pods; Diet 4; 3 tiya of cowpea husk and 2 tiya of cotton seed cake; Diet 5; 3 tiya of cowpea husk and 2 tiya of Acacia pods; Diet 6; 3 tiya of cowpea husk plus 2 tiya of cotton seed cake and 2 tiya of Acacia pods; Diet 7; 3 tiya of groundnuts haulms and 2 tiya of cotton seed cake; Diet 8; 3 tiya of groundnuts haulms and 2 tiya of Acacia pods while Diet 9; 3 tiya of groundnuts haulms plus2 tiya of Acacia pods plus 2 tiya of cotton seed cake. Proximate chemical composition of the five feed resources and the nine diets formulated were similar (10.50, 11.00, 10.40, 10.20, 10.00, 11.00, 10.70, 11.20, and 10.60 for diet 1-9 respectively) unlike the variations in crude protein of the five feed resources, Faidherbia albida (17.10CP) Cotton seed cake (41.00CP), groundnuts haulms (10.90 CP), Cowpea husk (12.97CP) and sorghum husk (6.60CP)