Digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste with foliage and grass/legume

Abstract

Snails are important kind of micro livestock in the animal industry with a wide range of economic value and
significance, the study determined the digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails
(Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste, foliage or grass/legume using
Completely Randomized Design. The experiment had four (4) treatments with five (5) replicates each, the
experimental diets were diet 1 (100% municipal organic waste), diet 2 (100% grasses), diet 3 (75% grasses
and 25% legume) and diet 4 (100% foliage). There were 25 hatchlings per replicate. The experiment lasted
for 120 days. Snail hatchlings fed experimental diet 4, maintained higher significant (P<0.05) results for
diet protein intake, digestible protein for growth, total digestible protein for gain, digestible protein, gross
protein value, protein replacement value, and a better protein utilization efficiency. Dietary fibre intake was
(P<0.05) higher on diet 3, 2 and 1, lower on diet 4, digestible fibre for growth showed (P<0.05) higher and
similar values for diet 4 and 1, lower values for diet 3 and 2, digestible fibre and fibre replacement value
decreased (P<0.05) in the order diet, 2, 3, 1 and 4, for efficiency of fibre utilization, diet 2 and 3 showed
better fibre utilization efficiency. Dietary fat intake, digestible fat, fat replacement value showed (P<0.05)
higher for diet 1, and with a better fat utilization efficiency. Snail’s micro-biota had high substrates
dependency role on the quality of feed nutrient utilization in a symbiotic mechanism that helped in the
breakdown and digestion of feed materials.