Performance of West African Dwarf nursing does and kids fed graded levels of palm kernel cake as replacement for formulated concentrates

Abstract

A sixteen-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the replacement value of formulated concentrate (FC) supplemented with palm kernel cake (PKC) using Pennisetum purpureum as a basal diet for nursing West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Parameters assessed were dry matter intake, average initial live weight, average live weight change of the does and suckled kids. Fifteen lactating WAD goats and suckling kids were randomly allocated to five concentrate supplement groups of FC: PKC ratio, namely, diet 1 (100:0), diet 2 (75:25), diet 3 (50:50), diet 4 (25:75), and diet 5 (0:100) respectively in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment had three replicates of one nursing doe and a suckling kid. The replacement of FC supplemented with PKC had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on the silage DM intake of the nursing does but no observable significant (P>0.05) effect was observed in their total DM intake. The levels of replacement of FC by PKC indicated a significant (P<0.05) effect on the average feed intake, average live weight of nursing does and suckled kids. The results concluded that 50% fraction replacement of of FC by PKC perfectly enhaced better performance.