Abstract

Effects of feeding graded levels of rumen content meal on the performance of growing snails

Author(s): A.A.Adeniji

A total of 150 growing snails were used for this experiment that lasted for a period of ten weeks. The study was designed to determine the effect of feeding growing snails on rumen content meal (R C M). There were five dietary treatments in which rumen content was include at graded levels of 0, 7.5,15, 22.5 and 30%. The snails fed on the R CMdiet had a comparable body weight (P>0.05) which “tended” to be higher than the snails fed the control diet. The feed intake were highly comparable (P>0.05) for snails on all the experimental diet, but the snails fed on the control diet “seemed” to have the lowest feed intake value. The feed to gain ratio value were comparable throughout, but the snails fed 15 and 30%R CMdiet both had the lowest feed to gain ratio while the highest were recorded on the 22% R C M diet. The shell length gain showed significant effect (P<0.05), but the best value were recorded at control diet 0 and 7.5%inclusion of R CMwhile 15 and 30% had the least value on shell length gain. The shell thickness were comparable (P>0.05) throughout, but it was noted that the best value were recorded at 30%level of inclusion. The profitability increased as the level of R CMincreased in the diet with snails fed 30%R CMdiet giving a profitability of 47.7%.