Use of household wastes and crop residues in small ruminant feeding in Nigeria

Abstract

A study was conducted of 252 households in five communities within Ogun State, Nigeria, to survey the use of household and farm wastes by small livestock holders. Over 90% of the respondents were farmers whose average farm size was 0.8 ha with cassava, maize and yam as major crops. Flock sizes were one to three sheep and one to four goats per household. Predominant household wastes and crop residues were cassava, yam, cocoyam, orange peels, maize cob and stalk, cowpea vines and husk, groundnut haulm, pods, cocoa pods, colanut pods and rice milling by-products. The most commonly fed were cassava and yam peels, cowpea husk and kitchen wastes like banana peels, plantain peels, pineapple waste, palm kernel meal, maize and sorghum fermentation wastes. The crude protein levels in these feedstuffs ranged from 1 to 23%, fibre 2 to 52% and metabolizable energy was as high as 20 MJ per kg DM. Crop residue was underutilized as only 1%, 2%, 43% and 44% of the respondents fed, respectively, maize stover, maize cob, cowpea husk and yam peels to their sheep and goats. Large amounts of various crop residues (29–100%) were left in the field to rot away or were burnt. The sheep and goats were healthier and heavier when given supplemental feed. Five percent of the owners provided housing for their animals. It is suggested that more of the household wastes and crop residues could be used after proper processing.