Authored by DM Babale*
Introduction
Raising of goats occurs in many semi-arid regions [1], since they show adaptability to regions with a low rainfall index and scarce forage availability. During the dry season, the goats consume low-quality feed as a consequence of low forage availability, thus resulting in a low productive performance. To make goat farming more profitable, especially during the long period of forage shortages, the feedlot farming system is presented as an alternative for improving production rates. In feedlot systems, feed planning is essential to reduce costs.Feed intake is one of the most important factors for the productivity of small ruminants. If the voluntary intake is too low the rate of production will be depressed, resulting in requirements for maintenance becoming a very large proportion of the Metabolizeable energy consumed and so giving a poor efficiency of food conversion [2]. Three types of factors affecting feed intake of ruminants can be distinguished: factors that have to do with the animals, the feed characteristics or the environmental conditions [3]. Regulation of feed intake and dietary choices combine shortterm control of feeding behaviour related to the body’s homeostatic and long-term control that depends on nutritional requirements and body reserves [4]. Feed factors act mainly on the short-term control. Feed quality and physical characteristics of forage, such as a dry matter (DM) content, fibre content, particle size, and resistance to fracture are known to affect ease of prehension and thus intake rate [5].
Meat is one of the most important foods in the world and in some countries; it is considered an essential product with high consumption rate [6]. Differences in carcass, fat and conformation affect meat quality [7]. Carcass dimensions give information on its development, helping in determining the main assessment indices [8]. Carcass conformation is an important indicator of commercial value because carcass with better conformation has advantages of high lean content, proportion of high price cuts and greater muscle area [9]. A carcass composition determines yield and meat sensorial characteristics. Therefore, carcass economic value is based on its conformation and composition [10].
[11] reported that carcass conformation is a critical subjective visual criterion that places economic value to carcasses. That carcass conformation only account for less than 10% of the variation observed in meat yield. Information on carcass characteristics of castrated West African Dwarf bucks offered varying levels of brewer’s dried grain with Ber (ziziphus jujube) leaves basal diet is scanty. The study was therefore carried out to bridge this gap.
Materials and Methods
Study site
The experiment was conducted at the Livestock Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Adamawa State University Mubi, Nigeria. Mubi is located in the Northern part of Adamawa State. It lies on Latitude 90o11I north of the equator and Longitude 13o45I east of the Greenwich Meridian at an altitude of 696m above sea level. It is bounded in the South and East by Republic of Cameroun. The State has a land area of 4,728.77m2 and population of 245, 460 [12], it is situated in the Sudan Savanna zone of Nigeria. The vegetation type is best described as Combretacious woodland savanna [13], which consists of grasses or weeds and shrubs collectively making 70% of the entire vegetation. Some of these grasses, weeds and shrubs are used as animal feeds. The area has two distinct seasons; Rainy season lasts for four (4) months and dry season that lasts for eight (8) months. Annual rainfall ranges from 700-900mm with highest peak in August. The area has minimum temperature of 12.70C in January and maximum of 370C in April [14].
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