Effects of sun-dried mango seed kernel meal on growth performance of giant African snail(Archachatina marginata)

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of mango seed kernel meal on the growth performance ofArchachatinamarginata fed diets containing varying levels of mango seed kernel meal. A total of hundred and twenty (120) growing snails of similar sizes were randomly assigned to four treatments designated T1 , T2 , T3 and T4 and replicated three times in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each dietary treatment consisted of thirty (30) snails per treatment with ten (10) snails per replicate. The mango seed kernel meal used as test ingredient were collected, cracked and the kernel sundried for two weeks after which it was milled into a fine powder. Four experimental diets were formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of snails included at 0% mango seed kernel meal (T1 ), 5% mango seed kernel meal (T2 ), 10% mango seed kernel meal (T3 ) and 15% mango seed kernel meal (T4 ) respectively. T served as the control. The snails were fed once a day during the evening hours and adequately managed during this period. The feeding trial lasted for eight weeks. Proximate composition of the mango seed kernel meal and the experimental diets were conducted to determine the nutrient contents of the mango seed kernel meal and that of the experimental diet. The feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), weight gain, shell length, shell aperture circumference, shell circumference, suture increase, shell thickness and specific growth rate were monitored and recorded. The data collected were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that there were no significant (P0.05) differences on the feed intake (29.58g in T1 to 27.54g in T4 ),weight gain (10.14g in T1 to 9.50g T2 ), shell length (9.17cmin T2 to 9.03 cmin T1 ), shell aperture (6.50cm in T2 to 6.35cm in T1 ), shell circumference (10.88cm in T2 to 10.65cm in T4 ), suture (3.37cm in T4 to 3.33cm in T2 ), shell thickness (2.22cm in T1 to 1.94cm in T2 ) and specific growth rate. Therefore, it could be concluded that mango seed kernel meal can be included up to 15% in the diet of Archachatina marginata without any adverse effect on their growth performance.