Pattern of the Effect of Different Vegetable Diets Supplemented With Concentrate on the Growth Performance of African Giant Land Snail (Archachatina marginata)

Abstract

The effect of different vegetable diets supplemented with concentrate on the growth performance of African Giant Land Snail (Archachatina marginata) was investigated. Three hundred (300) grower snails weighing from 55.00 – 57.50g were randomly assigned to five treatment groups with each having three replicates in a completely randomized design. The snails were fed five experimental vegetable diets (T1 water leaf, T2 pawpaw leaf, T3 amaranthus leaf, T4 cabbage and T5 goat weed) plus concentrate for 10 weeks ad libitum and water freely supplied. The experimental concentrate feed was salt free and contain 26% crude protein and 2700 Kcal/kg metabolizable energy. Results showed significantly (P 0.05). Results indicate that vegetable type can affect the growth performance of the African Giant Land Snail. Vegetable diets with high crude protein and dry matter content gave better weight gain performance than those with low crude protein and dry matter content. Snails ate more of the vegetable diets as their main feed.