Journal of Molluscan Research, (JMR) Volume 8, 2022
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the effect of different protein sources: Soya bean meal (SBM), Groundnut cake (GNC) and Cotton seed meal (CSM) and their dietary levels on growth performance and carcass quality of grower snails. The snails were five (5) months old with an average body weight of 35.62g, the study lasted for ten (10) weeks.
One hundred and forty-four snails were used. The parameters measured were growth and carcass characteristics. The experimental design used was a 3×3 factorial design and data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance, their means were separated with Duncan‟s multiple range test at 5% level of probability.
Significant (p<0.05) interaction effects were recorded between the different protein sources and levels of inclusion. Snails served 27% of the SBM diet had the highest final body weight and body weight gain. Interaction effects showed no significant (p>0.05) variation in final shell circumference, shell circumference gain, final shell length, and shell length gain among the treatment groups. There were significant (p<0.05) interaction effects in the total feed intake (TFI) among the snails fed the experimental diets.
SBM and CSM diets at all the inclusion levels and GNC at 27% level of inclusion had higher TFI. It was revealed that a higher protein level was required by grower snails for which snails fed SBM at a 27% level of inclusion elicited the highest performance.
Keywords: Performance, carcass, characteristics, grower, levels, giant land snail.
