Journal of Molluscan Research, (JMR) Volume 8, 2022
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Abstract
The effect of the nutrient composition of maize chaff and pawpaw fruit-based diets on growth performance and carcass yield of giant African land snail (GALS) was investigated. The feeding trial was for 56 days.
A total of two hundred and forty (240) grower snails with an initial average weight of 64.06±0.19g were randomly selected into two groups with six replicates respectively (20snails/replicate) in a completely randomised design.
Diet of maize chaff and pawpaw fruit were fed to group 1 and 2, respectively. Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) anddressing percentage were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Student t-test. Crude protein of 26.21±0.25, crude fibre (37.43±0.18), calcium-phosphorus ratio (2.07:1) and acid detergent fibre (76.35±0.12) in pawpaw fruit was higher than the corresponding levels of 4.22±0.11 (crude protein), 11.28±0.03 (crude fibre), 1.75:1 (calciumphosphorus) and 20.45±0.03 (acid detergent fibre) in maize chaff.
Feed intake of GALS fed maize chaff (108.16±6.20) was significantly higher than pawpaw fruit (67.45±3.42), the FCR of GALS on pawpaw fruit was more favourable (4.61±0.29 Vs 8.18±0.61)). However, there were similar (p>0.05) weight gain and dressing percentages of the experimental GALS, irrespective of diets. The paltry crude protein and high acid detergent fibre in maize chaff and pawpaw fruit had a resultant effect on the growth and dressing percentage of the snails, respectively.
Keywords: Growth performance, maize chaff, pawpaw fruit, Archachatina marginata
