Effects of different feeding regimes on the growth performance of the giant African land snail <i>Archachatina marginata</i> (Swainson)

Abstract

Effects of various feeding regimes on the growth performance of the giant African land snail, Archachatina marginata were studied using one hundred and twenty (120 Juvenile snails) weighing 0.66g +1 per snails for a period of 90 days. The treatments were. T₁ -Grower starter, T₂ - Grower mash, T₃ - cocoyam and cassava leaves and T₄ - Ripe pawpaw fruits. The Completely Randomized Design was used with four treatments and each replicated three times. The snails were confined in wooden hutch boxes. Data was collected on weekly body weight feed intake, shell length and shell width. Results obtained showed that snails fed with broiler starter diet (T₁) had significantly (P<0.05) higher performance in terms of weight gain, feed intake, shell length and the aperture, while pawpaw fruits T₄ recorded the least values. The highest values for feed intake was observed in T₁ (135.5g) followed by T₂ (78.2g), while the least feed intake was observed in T₄ (55.7g). Snails fed with T₁ recorded the highest weight gain (60.1g) followed by T₂ and T₃.The lowest weight gain was obtained in T₄ (37.9g). Shell length was highest in T₁ (20.7mm), closely followed by T₂ (19.2mm). The aperture recorded the highest mean values in T₁ (20.1mm). The least operculum was recorded in T₄ (12.9mm). Therefore, the broiler starter T₁ should be used to feed growing snails to improve their performance.

Keywords: Snails, Broiler Starter, Grower mesh, Cocoyam leaves, Cassava leaves, Pawpaw fruits, hutch boxes