Effects of supplementing processed velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens L. DC. var. utilis) on nutrients intakes, growth performance, and blood profile in goats.

Ruminant production in West Africa faces both qualitative and quantitative feeding constraints during the dry season and animal diseases in smallholder farms. High-protein legume seeds can represent an alternative and sustainable feed that could enhance animal performance. The use of legume beans, limited by their anti-nutritional factor contents, can be improved through different detoxification methods. The study evaluated the effects of processed velvet beans compared to raw velvet beans on the nutritive value of the beans, nutrient intakes, growth performance, and blood profile in West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Four diets were tested, including 22.22% of raw velvet beans (RW diet), soaked beans (SK diet), boiled beans (BL diet), or roasted beans (RT diet). Twenty WAD goats of 6.85 ± 0.93 kg of body weight were divided equally into 4 groups and fed one of the four experimental diets. The processing method affects the crude protein content of velvet beans; in particular, tannin content was reduced with soaking or boiling. Dry matter and nutrient intakes resulted significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the SK diet compared to the control. Daily weight gain was highest in SK and RT diets and lowest in BL and the control diets RW. Therefore, the FCR was highest in BL and lowest in SK diets. In addition, SK diet showed the lowest feeding cost (1046.70 XOF/kg WG in SK). Our study revealed that processed velvet beans obtained using simple methods (e.g., soaking, boiling, or roasting) could be used as low-cost protein supplements in smallholder farms to enhance goats' performance. The soaking method appears the simplest and cheapest process that smallholder farmers can easily use to enhance goats' productivity and improve their livelihoods.

Growth-promoting effect of water-washed neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) fruit inclusion in West African dwarf rams.

In a study to determine the growth-promoting effect of water-washed neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) fruit (WN) in West African Dwarf (WAD) rams, a total mixed ration was formulated with 0 (WN0), 2.5 (WN2.5), 5.0 (WN5), 7.5 (WN7.5), and 10.0 (WN10) % of WN inclusion. Twenty-five yearling rams (12.3 ± 2.0 kg) were assigned to one of the five dietary groups with five animals per group in a completely randomized design. Each group received the diet for 90 days inclusive of the initial 28 days used for anticoccidial efficacy trial. After the growth trial, three rams from each group were used for digestibility and nitrogen metabolism trial. Anticoccidial efficacy linearly increased (P = 0.002) with increased inclusion of WN and duration of feeding (P = 0.003). Feed intake (P = 0.018) and weight gain (P = 0.009) quadratically increased with WN5 inclusion compared to WN10. Optimal inclusion level of WN for daily weight gain was 5.1% (R2 = 0.30). Digestibility of crude protein was linearly and quadratically increased (P = 0.032; P = 0.031, respectively) with up to WN7.5 inclusion. Nitrogen retention was similar among the treatments. Incorporation of water-washed neem fruit in the diets of West African dwarf rams improved nutrient utilization and animal health by increasing anticoccidial efficacy, feed intake, and weight gain. This is an indication that water-washed neem fruit could be used as growth promoter in sheep production.

Influence of processing cassava peels on the hydrogen cyanide concentration, nutritive value and performance of growing rabbits.

Forty-eight rabbits used to investigate the response of growing rabbits to diets containing differently processed cassava peel meals were divided into four groups balanced for sex and weight. These groups were then assigned at random to the experimental treatments. Four diets were formulated such that the diets contained 200 g/kg of the experimental feedstuffs, sun-dried cassava peel meal (S), ensiled cassava peel meal (E) and retted cassava peel meal (R), and the control did not contain any cassava peels. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) concentration in the processed cassava peel meal was lower relative to the unprocessed meal. It was, however, lowest in R and highest in E. With the exception of S, fibre fractions were lower in the processed meal compared to the unprocessed meal. The E depressed (p < 0.05) feed and digestible nutrient intakes, weight gain, nutrient digestibility, digestible protein (DP), digestible energy (DE) and DP/DE ratio but increased protein intake to gain and feed to gain ratios compared to other diets. Intake of HCN decreased (p < 0.05) successively in this order: R, S and E. The results indicate that retting and sun-drying are more effective in cassava peel detoxification than ensiling, and dietary HCN concentration and intake of 56 and 4 mg/kg BW, respectively, were not toxic under the conditions of the experiment.