ABSTRACT
The efficacy, acceptability and utilization of groundnut haulms (GH) and cowpea husks (CH) as feed resources for Red Sokoto does (RSD) were investigated. The experiment, in a randomized complete block design involved growth and digestibility trials using twenty pregnant RSD in their last trimester and twelve Red Sokoto bucks (RSB) for the respective trials. The RSD (average liveweight, 27.52Âฑ 1.74kg) were aged 2-3 years old while, the RSB (average liveweight, 19.84Âฑ 1.4kg) were aged 1Âฝ year old. The trials were used to determine voluntary feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance, milk yield, milk composition and weight gain. There were four treatment groups and both trials lasted for 90 and 21 days respectively. Diet 1, the conventional concentrate diet, cotton seed cake (CSC) was used as control. Diets 2 (GH), 3 (CH), and 4 (GH+CH) were the crop residue test diets. Each of the supplementation diet was fed at 1.8% of body weight (BWT). Digitaria smutsii hay was fed at 2.7% BWT. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference in dry matter and crude protein intake while, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance were statistically (P>0.05) similar across treatments. The results of the experiment showed that supplementation significantly (P<0.05) influenced milk yield and weight gain of dams and kids. Results also indicated that stage of lactation significantly (P<0.05) influenced moisture and total solid constituents of milk. Stage of lactation did not significantly influenced (P>0.05) milk fat, milk protein, solids-not-fat and lactose in goat milk. It was concluded that supplementation with GH, CH or GH+CH enhanced the intake of dry matter and crude protein, milk yield and weight gain of Red Sokoto goats. Combination of GH+CH gave better performance and reduce cost of production.
