Use of Sun-Dried Cassava Leaves (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in the Diet of Sahelian Bucks in Niger: Zootechnical Performance, Digestibility and Economic Profitability
Nourou Ado Alassan *
National Institute of Agricultural Research of Niger (INRAN), Regional Centre of Agricultural Research (CERRA) of Maradi, PO Box 240, Maradi, Republic of Niger.
Musa Isyaku Ghude
Agriculture Services Department, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria.
Hamdein Mutwakel
Department of Animal Production, Dalanj University, South Kordofan State, Sudan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of gradual incorporation of sun-dried cassava leaves (Manihot esculenta Crantz) into the concentrate ration on feed intake, apparent digestibility, growth performance, and economic profitability of fattening Sahelian bucks in Niger. Twenty-four (24) Sahelian bucks, with an average initial live weight of 14.5±1.2 kg and an age of 7 to 9 months, were randomly assigned in a randomised complete block design to four treatments (n=6 per treatment) for 70 days (14 days of adaptation and 56 days of data collection). Treatments consisted of a basal diet of sorghum stover fed ad libitum, supplemented with a concentrate containing different incorporation levels of shade-dried cassava leaves (DCL): 0% (DCL0 - Control), 15% (DCL15), 30% (DCL30), and 45% (DCL45). Dried cassava leaves (DCL) contained 91.8% dry matter (DM) and 21.4% crude protein (CP). Total DM intake increased linearly with the DCL level (P<0.05), reaching 612.4 g DM/day for DCL30 compared to 515.2 g DM/day for DCL0. Average daily gain (ADG) was significantly higher in the DCL30 (78.5 g/day ) and DCL15 (71.2 g/day ) groups compared with the DCL0 control group (52.4 g/day ) (P<0.01). Beyond 30% incorporation (DCL45), a slight, non-significant decrease in ADG (68.1 g/day ) and DM digestibility was observed. The most efficient feed conversion ratio was recorded for the DCL30 group (7.80). Economic analysis showed that the feed cost per kilogram of live weight gain decreased by 35.7% for the DCL30 treatment compared to the control. Incorporating sun dried cassava leaves at up to 30% of the concentrate significantly improved the growth performance of Sahelian bucks while substantially reducing production costs under semi-arid conditions.
Keywords: Goats, Manihot esculenta, fattening, weight gain, protein substrate, Niger