DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2014.v01i04.020

Pages: 255-259

Twenty four West African dwarf goats balanced for weight (7.00+0.25kg) were fed varying levels of yam peels and cowpea husk to evaluate their energy utilization and haematological indices. Goats were allotted to three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with eight goats per treatment. The dietary treatments were as follows: Diet A (65.00% yam peels + 10.00% cowpea husk + 25.00% concentrate supplement), Diet B (60.00% yam peels + 15.00% cowpea husk + 25.00% concentrate supplement) and Diet C (55.00% yam peels + 20.00% cowpea + 25.00% concentrate supplement). The results showed that Diet A was significantly (P <0.05) highest in gross energy intake (13.04MJ/kg), faecal energy intake (4.80MJ/kg), white blood cell (16.58 x 106/µl) and neutrophil (35.67%) than the other dietary treatments. The digestible energy (11.01MJ/kg), metabolizable energy (10.57MJ/kg), metabolizable energy as percentage of gross energy (1.16 MJ/Kg), packed cell volume (29.32%), haemoglobin (11.05g/L), red blood cell (10.92 X x 106/µl) mean corpuscular haemoglobin (8.62pg), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (32.86g/dl), mean corpuscular volume (27.99fl), lymphocytes (60.92%) and monocytes (2.99%) were highest (P <0.05) in diet C compared to diets A and B. It is concluded that diet C (55.00% yam peels + 20.00% cowpea husk + 25.00% concentrate supplement) has the potential to enhance energy utilization and haematological indices of West African dwarf goats.