Effects of feeding Pennisetum purpureum silage supplemented with selected farm residues on growth performance and meat quality of west African dwarf rams

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of supplementing Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass) silage with sorghum plant haylage, cassava peel dried, and maize stover on the growth performance and meat quality of West African Dwarf (WAD) rams. Twenty weaner WAD rams (3–4 months old, ~15 kg initial body weight) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments for 12 weeks. The treatments included (1) Pennisetum purpureum silage only (control), (2) silage + sorghum plant haylage, (3) silage + cassava peel dried, and (4) silage + maize stover. Growth parameters such as feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured weekly. Additionally, meat quality characteristics including carcass weight, dressing percentage, tenderness, water holding capacity, and marbling score were assessed at the end of the trial. Results showed that supplementing the silage with sorghum plant haylage and cassava peel dried significantly improved (p < 0.05) the growth performance of the rams. Rams fed silage supplemented with sorghum haylage had the highest weight gain (8.7 kg), final carcass weight (12.0 kg), and dressing percentage (50.4%), followed closely by those on cassava peel dried. Supplemented diets also enhanced meat quality, yielding better marbling, tenderness, and fat content compared to the control. The study concludes that the use of sorghum plant haylage and cassava peel dried as silage supplements offers a practical solution to improve the growth and meat quality of WAD rams, addressing seasonal feed shortages in West Africa.