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Utilization Of Cassava and Pawpaw Diets By Growing Snails


AS Kehinde
OO Tewe
AJ Omole
SE Odidi
GT Muraina
A Adeyinka
TO Babatunde
OA Ayoola
VM Nwokolo

Abstract

Two hundred and twenty five (225) growing snails of an average weight of 70g were used for the feeding trial, with five dietary treatments. The trial lasted fourteen weeks. The diets were isonitrogenous (18.30% crude protein) and Isocaloric (2500kcal/kg M. E).

The treatments were T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. The rations had 10% inclusion of pawpaw leaf (T2) Unripe Pawpaw fruit (T3), Cassava peel (T4) cassava leaf (T5). The treatment without the inclusion of pawpaw and cassava meal served as the control treatment (T1).

Snails in (T2), had the best performance in terms of daily weight gain (3.65g), efficiency of feed utilization (0.49) and feed to gain ratio (2.02), closely followed by T4 (ration with 10% cassava peel meal); T5, T3 and T1 (control treatment).

Feed intake in all the treatments was not depressed. Feed intake was generously enhanced in T4 and T5, revealing that the inclusion of cassava peel and leaf enhanced feed intake.

The high feed intake in T4 and T5 affected the feed to gain ratio and efficiency of feed utilization. Feed to gain ratio values of 4.18, 2.02, 1.85, 6.13 and 6.29 for (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) showed that T2 and T3 were the best, this also reflected in the efficiency of feed utilization, which showed that T2 and T T3 were the most efficient. It could be concluded that the inclusion of parts of cassava and pawpaw in the rations of growing snails, had positive impact on the growth and performance indices. In terms of rating, pawpaw leaf and cassava peel inclusion were ahead of pawpaw fruit and cassava leaf. All the plant parts were valuable, because all the treatments were better than the control. Snail farmers are encouraged to adopt the utilization of pawpaw and cassava parts in snail feeding, because of their availability and affordability.

Key words: Cassava, pawpaw, growing snails

Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol.2(2) 2004: 84-88

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eISSN: 1597-0906