Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the replacement value of cassava peels and rice husk combination for guinea grass, using nutrient digestibility, energy utilization and in vitro gas production characteristics by West African Dwarf Sheep. Fifteen (15) growing WAD Sheep with an average weight of 9.00 ± 0.01kg and aged between 9 and 10 months old were randomly assigned to three (3) dietary treatments with five (5) animals per treatment in a completely randomized design. The compared diets were A (guinea grass), B (cassava peels with rice husk in a ratio of 60:10) and C (cassava peels with rice husk in a ratio of 55:15). The results showed that parameters observed under digestibility, energy and in vitro gas production characteristics were significantly affected (P<0.05) with the exception of dry matter digestibility, gas produced from the soluble fraction (a), gas production rate constant (c)and incubation time(t¹/₂) (P>0.05). CP (74.37%) , EE (62.49%), CF (47.08%), ash (70.89%), NDF (48.62%), ADF (49.68%), ADL (54.83%) digestibility, GE intake (2229.74kcal/g/day), DE (95.45kcal/g/day), CH₄ (13ml), ME (8.31MJ/kg/DM), OMD (56.10%) and SCFA (0.09uM) were significantly (P<0.05) better for diet A. Gas production from the insoluble fraction (38.75ml) and potential gas production (41.00ml) were highest in diet B, whereas NFE digestibility (79.38%), total energy output (197.21kcal/g/day) and metabolizable energy BW ^0.75 (15.11kcal/g/day) were higher for diet C. It is concluded that cassava peels with rice husk in a ratio of 60:10 has a potential to replace guinea grass in the diet of WAD sheep.

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