GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND NITROGEN METABOLISM OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF RAMS RED DIET'S CONTAINING VARYING LEVELS OF BIOCHARCOAL
Abstract
This study investigated the growth performance and nitrogen metabolism of West African Dwarf rams fed diet containing varying levels of biocharcoal. A total of fifteen (15) West African Dwarf rams were randomly allocated to five treatment groups, receiving a basal diet and concentrate supplemented with varying levels of biocharcoal: 0% (T1), 0.5% (T2), 1.0% (T3), 1.5% (T4), and 2.0% (T5). The trial was conducted over a 12-week period. Data collected on growth performance characteristics including initial weight, final weight, weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR), as well as nitrogen metabolism parameters such as nitrogen intake, output (fecal and urinary), and retention. At the end of the feeding trial, the animals were allotted into metabolic cages for separate feeding, collection of urine and faeces.
The results showed a significant positive effect of dietary biocharcoal on growth performance. The average daily gain and final body weight were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in rams fed diets with higher biocharcoal inclusion. Specifically, the T5 group (2.0% biocharcoal) recorded the highest average daily gain of 107.50 g/day, compared to 57.74 g/day in the control group (T1). The Feed Conversion Ratio was also significantly improved (p < 0.05), decreasing from 12.67 in the control group to 8.53 in the T5 group. In terms of nitrogen metabolism, biocharcoal supplementation significantly enhanced nitrogen utilization. The highest nitrogen retention of 56.33% was observed in the T5 group, a notable increase from the 46.00% recorded in the control group. This improvement was accompanied by a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in total nitrogen output in the feces and urine. The study concludes that biocharcoal is a highly effective feed additive for West African Dwarf rams. Its inclusion in the diet at a level of up to 2.0% significantly improves growth performance and enhances nitrogen use efficiency, which has positive implications for both animal production and environmental sustainability.
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