PERFORMANCE INDICES OF SOKOTO GUDALI CATTLE FED SAWDUST AS REPLACEMENT FOR CASSAVA PEELS

Abstract

A fifteen week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion of sawdust on performance characteristics of Sokoto Gudali bull. Fresh sawdust was collected from sawmill and used to replace cassava peel at 0, 10 and 20% inclusion levels constituting diets 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Diet I served as the control diet. Nine adult male Gudali cattle were randomly allotted to three experimental diets. There were three cattle per treatment and each served as a replicate. The animals were offered 5kg of concentrate daily while Panicum maximum was given ad libitum using zero grazing method. The experimental design was complete randomized design. Parameters considered included final weight, weight gain, concentrate intake, grass intake, total feed intake, feed efficiency and mortality. Results obtained revealed that weight gain, concentrate intake, grass intake, total feed intake and feed efficiency were significantly (p<0.05) affected by dietary treatments. Gudali cattle fed 10% sawdust recorded values (0.61, 4.50, 10.86, 15.36 kg/day/animal and 0.04, respectively) that were similar (p>0.05) to those cattle fed the control diet (0.56, 4.38, 10.34, 14.72 kg/day/animal 0.04, respectively). However respective values of those fed 20% sawdust (0.42, 4.51, 11.83, 16.34 kg/day/animal and 0.03) were significant (p<0.05) compared to the control diet. Final weight and mortality were not significantly affected. Inclusion of sawdust in the ration of Sokoto Gudali cattle did not adversely affect performance at 10% inclusion level.