Carcass characteristics of castrated West African Dwarf Bucks offered varying levels of Brewer’s dried grain with Ber (ziziphus jujube) leaves basal diet

Abstract

The study investigated the carcass characteristics of castrated West African Dwarf bucks offered varying levels of brewer’s dried grain with Ber (Ziziphus jujube) Leaves basal diet. Twelve West African Dwarf bucks with average age of Twelve months weighing 13 (+_0.7) Kg was used for the experiment. Each treatment was replicated three times. The experimental diets consisted of ber leaves (Ziziphus jujube) as basal diet, supplemented with local brewers’ dried grain at 50g, 100 g, 150 g and 200 g levels designated as treatments T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄ respectively. These diets were fed to the animals for a period of 63 days. At the end of the experiment, two animals from each treatment were selected, starved for a period of 24 hours and sacrificed for carcass analysis. Result of the research revealed that the weights of blood ranged from 485g (T₃) to 1.06 Kg (T₄). The values were statistically significant (p<0.01) across treatments. The Hides/skin, non carcass, digestive organs, fore and hind limbs weights were significantly (p<0.01) different across treatments. Effects of the diets on wholesale cuts of growing West African Dwarf goats showed that the weights for the breast, shoulder, legs, shanks, flanks, rack and loins with ranges of 195 – 290 g, 225 – 350g, 310 – 405g, 92.50 – 142.50g, 155 – 187.50g, 152.50 – 179.0g and 302.50 – 455.00 respectively were all significantly (p<0.01) different so also with the fat deposits. It is concluded that the experimental diets did not have harmful effects on the animals as indicated by the carcass qualities because of absence of excessive fat deposits. The feed ingredients could therefore be used at the rates used in the treatments for fattening of goats.