Abstract
This study compared the sun-drying characteristics of five blends each (w/w; 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:2.5, 1:3) of wheat offal-carried pineapple waste (WO:PW) and brewers’ dried grains-carried pineapple waste (BDG:PW), assessed the blends for their nutrient contents and the feeding value of the optimum blends with Red Sokoto (RS) goats. Moisture contents of all the blends were reduced to between 10.95 - 14.38% and 11.73 - 14.72%, respectively for WO:PW and BDG:PW blends within 7 h. Drying was observed to be optimum at 1WO:2PW and 1BDG:2PW and their respective proximate compositions suggest their potentials as an energy source and a protein source respectively in ruminant nutrition. Free choice intake, coefficient of preference and percentage preference of the optimum blends (1WO:2PW and 1BDG:2PW) and their respective equal mixtures (w/w) with a formulated conventional concentrate (CCON) by RS goats, were subsequently evaluated alongside the CCON in a cafeteria system. Results indicated that RS goats would opt for CCON in preference to other test feeds, but would readily accept WO-carried pineapple waste as an alternative to CCON. Key words: Acceptability, feed processing, fruit-processing by-products, seasonal nutritional stress, small ruminants.
Highlights
Small ruminants represent between 63.7 and 75% of total grazing domestic livestock in Nigeria and are widely distributed in rural, urban and peri-urban areas (Ajala et al, 2008; FMA, 2008), their significance in livestock agriculture and human protein nutrition
Crude fibre values appeared comparable for the three feedstuffs; while nitrogen free extract was the highest for fresh pineapple waste (PW) followed by WO and brewers’ dried grains-carried pineapple waste (BDG), respectively
Unlike BDG and WO, PW was observed to be very high in moisture content, which compares with 80% reported by Makinde et al (2011)
Summary
Small ruminants represent between 63.7 and 75% of total grazing domestic livestock in Nigeria and are widely distributed in rural, urban and peri-urban areas (Ajala et al, 2008; FMA, 2008), their significance in livestock agriculture and human protein nutrition. In Nigeria, two exotic species, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala, have shown appreciable forage potentials among multipurpose trees (Odeyinka et al, 2003; Fadiyimu et al, 2014) They have been observed to have difficulty in adapting the local environment and are susceptible to pests and diseases, such as psyllid epidemic (Heteropsylla cubana) in L. leucocephala (Baumer, 1992). Livestock have historically utilized large amounts of well-known and widely-available traditional by-products such as oil meals, bran, middlings, brewers’ grains, distillers’ grains, beet pulp and molasses in strategic supplementation strategies (MirzaeiAghsaghali and Maheri-Sis, 2008). These supplements are often not fed due to their unavailability and high costs (Nouala et al, 2006).
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