Performance, Carcass and Relative Organ Weights of Young Boars Fed Graded Dietary Levels of Raw <i>Icacinia manni</i> (Earth Ball)

Abstract

A study conducted for a period of fifty (50) days to determine the growth performance, carcass and organ weight of growing boars fed graded dietary levels of raw Icacinia manni tuber meal. Four experimental diets were formulated with Icacinia manni (Earth ball) replacing maize at 0, 5, 10 and 15% levels designated as T₁(control), T₂, T₃ and T₄, respectively. Forty-eight (48) young boars (Landrace x Large white) each weighed 7.72+ 0.35kg were assigned to the four dietary treatments and replicated three times of four boars each in a completely randomized design. Carcass traits and relative organs weights were evaluated. These traits were; dressed weight, dressing percentage, head, shank, trotter, belly, thick rib chop, rib chop, loin, chump chop, leg fillet end, Leg shank end, liver, lungs, kidney spleen and heart. The results indicated that apart from T₄, diets T₁, T₂ and T₃ did not differ significantly (P>0.05) in terms of feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio. This implies that Icacinia manni did not affect growth performance except at 15% level of inclusion Similarly, Pigs fed diets T₂ and T₃ showed significant (P<0.05) increase in dressed weight, dressing percentage as well as certain primal cuts such as breast, rib chop, loin and chump chop. However, relative organs weight did not differ (P>0.05) across dietary treatments except the lungs in T₄ (15%) signifying the non-deleterious effect of raw icacinia manni, at 10%. To attain optimum performance and carcass characteristics in young boars therefore, inclusion of raw Icacinia manni in young boars’ diet at 10 percent is recommended.