Effects of varying levels of flamboyant (<i>Delonix regia</i>) seed meal on body weight changes and linear body measurements of Savanna brown goat

Abstract

A trial was conducted to study the linear body measurements of Savanna brown goats fed diets containing varying levels of roasted Delonix regia seed meal using fifteen goats. Five treatment diets designated T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous with the groundnut cake component of the diets substituted with Delonix regia seed meal at 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 % respectively. The animals were allotted to five treatment groups of three replicates in a completely randomized design and fed the diets. Data on feed intake, body weight gain and linear body measurements were collected and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the difference between means were separated using the Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The results obtained showed that animals fed diets having 50 % replacement level of groundnut cake with roasted Delonix regia seed meal performed better with respect to all the parameters evaluated, with a decline in these parameters at dietary levels above 50 %. It was concluded that feeding diets having 50 % replacement level of groundnut cake with roasted Delonix regia seed
meal is a nutritionally effective means of improving the performance of does in terms of the performance parameters so evaluated.