Influence of Supplemented Levels of Acacia nilotica Leaf Meal on Growth Performance, Faecal Egg Count and Haematological Parameters of West African Dwarf Bucks

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the performance of West African dwarf goats fed Acacia nilotica leaf meal. Thirty (30) artificially infected West African Dwarf goats were randomly divided into five (5) groups of six (6) animals per group. Each group was randomly allotted to five (5) experimental diets containing varying levels (0. 5, 10, 15 and 20 %) of A. nilotica leaf meal (ANLM). Faecal samples were collected and analysed weekly from each animal to determine the faecal egg count. Weight changes of the animals were taken once a week throughout the experimental period and blood samples were collected on the 1st and 56th day of the experiment. Data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance. Results showed significant (p<0.05) impacts of the dietary treatments on most parameters considered. Goats fed 10% and 20% inclusion diets exhibited higher final weight gain and weight gains compared to other groups. Feed conversion ratios varied across the different dietary groups. Faecal egg counts decreased significantly (p<0.05) in goats on supplemented diets compared to the control group. Packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count were elevated (p<0.05) in the supplemented groups., Mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were elevated in some of the treatment with no particular trend. White blood cell counts, and its differentials were also influenced (p<0.05) by the dietary treatments, it increased in animals offered 5% ANLM and least in those fed 10% ANLM. The study concluded that ANLM enhanced infected goats’ performance, reduced faecal egg counts and maintained optimal blood levels demonstrating potential pharmaceutical and nutritional benefits for production.