Abstract
Snail is a slow growing animal which takes about 10 to 14 months to reach maturity. Efforts are geared towards finding possible means of enhancing the growth of the snail so as to meet up with consumers needs while increasing the income of the farmers. This necessitated this study to determine the effect of pawpaw and water leaves additive on growth performance of Giant African Land Snail (Archachatinamarginata). Pawpaw and water leaves additives when incorporated into the compounded snail feed have the capacity of promoting their growth performance. Four research questions and four hypotheses were tested. The study adopted experimental research design with completely randomized design. Snail at the experimental farm was fed with three sample feeds. One with pawpaw leaf additive, the other with water leaf additive and the last without either of the additives. Growth rate was measured using sensitive digital weighing balance while Vainer Caliper was used to measure the length and width. The feed intake was also determined by weigh-back techniques using the same sensitive digital weighing balance. Data collected was described using arithmetic mean while t-test statistics was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that snail in group C(T2) with pawpaw leaf additive recorded the highest weight gain, while the snail in group B (T3) with water leaf additive recorded highest in length and width. Furthermore, the snail in treatment three (T3) had the highest feed consumption rate. It was therefore, concluded that, pawpaw leaf additive enhances weight gain while water leaf additive enhances growth (length and width) in addition to increasing the consumption rate or feed intake of snail. The study therefore recommend among other things that farmers and the industries that compound snail feed should adopt pawpaw and water leaves additive to increase the feed consumption of snail while promoting their growth performance. More so, the snail farmers and researcher in this field in partnership with government should sponsor seminars and workshop for snail farmers and the public who are interested in rearing snail. Institution should establish snail farm which will serve as a research and training center for the school and the host community. In summary, the growth performance of any farm animal is highly dependable on the quality of its feed among other factors. If adequate and balance feed are provided to snail in and out season, snail will perform well and more animal protein feed (snail meat) will be available in the market.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Micro livestock are small sized domesticated animals raised by many farmers for its economic purposes. Micro livestock according to Okon and Ibom (2010) refers to small size domesticated animal requiring minimum space for rearing, to include grass cutter, rabbit, guinea pigs, quail and snail. Snail according to Obosi, Waziri and Adensida (2013) is one of the micro livestock that requires small space to rear. It consumes small quantity of feed, with little waste, and high output of product and by-product. Obosi et al (2013) further stated that snail require small capital to set up.
Snails are invertebrates with soft bodies that are covered with hard calcareous shells belonging to the phylum mollusk (Michael & Kelvin, 2016).Akintomide (2014) defined snail described snail as a soft bodied animal consisting of shell and flesh and are found in many forest. Snails are mostly available during the rainy season especially in the southern forest belts of Nigeria. Ayodele and Asimalue (2009) describe snail as any mollusc of the class Gastropod, having a spirally coiled shell and a ventral muscular foot on which it slowly moves about. Ayodele and Asimalue (2009) further stated that snail is a nocturnal animal, a wonderer which can easily escape from its captive if not properly housed. Plummer (2009) also defined snail as a herbivorous cold-blooded animal with complex hermaphroditic reproductive system. As a cold- blooded animal, most activities of snail take place during the rainy season and when the
temperature rises above its body temperature of 20oC, they aestivate in its shell until the
temperature improves. Owoseni (2014) further stated that snail is slow going and growing animal which spend most of the time moving slowly. This animal does not grow fast but its steady
1
growth nature keeps it growing because it is very resistance to disease attack and has a way of combatting the unfavourable environment.
There are different species of snail that are edible and are commonly reared in tropical region of Nigeria. These includeHelix aspersa, Helix pomatia, Helix cucorum, Helixcibeta, Iberusalunensis and Otalapuntata. The popular species found within the tropical region is Helix asperse. Helix aspersa comprises the Giant Africa Land Snail which is made up of Archatinaarchatina, Achatinafulica and Archachatinamarginata. In West African, Archachatinamarginata of Nigeria and Achatinaachatina of Ghana are the two major species of snail reared (Rebecca and Sheldon 2014.) Archachatinamarginata is mostly preferred because it is highly economical and attracts high demand due to its size. It is the largest gastropod among the Giant African Land Snails and grows to a shell length of 27cm and weighs 150 to 800 gm (Nisbert, 1994 and Jennifer, 1995). Abakwam (2016) explained that Archachatinamarginata is very common within the area because of its prolific nature. It also grows very fast to attain the market weight when compared with other breeds.
Archachatinamarginata has high adaptability and survivability in addition to being flesher and highly prolific. It is environmental friendly and requires little effort to raise (Akinnusi, 1998; NRC, 1991). It is also a good converter of vegetable protein and a high profit- yielding venture that requires little capital when compared to other farm animals like cattle, sheep and goat. This means that thousands of land snails can be raised in a small land space if intensively managed to yield a high percentage of the meat.
Snail meat is popularly referred to as Congo meat in Ghana. The meat is tasty, tender and nutritious and contains almost all the amino acids required by humans. Snail meat is higher in protein (37-51%) when compared to that of pig (20.3%) poultry (18.3%) fish (18%) cattle
(17.5%) and sheep (14.5%)(Owulabi, 2007). Congo meat is also rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and copper which are very helpful to the body (Imevbore, 2016). Snail meat is also very medicinal as it is used in the treatment of anaemia and hypertension (Abere&Lameed 2008). The high calcium content and polyunsaturated fatty acids of snail meat helps in the treatment of rickets. The poor lipid content of snail meat also makes it recommendable to liver–diseased patient. With growing awareness of the role of cholesterol in various heart and arterials diseases, the need for low cholesterol meat like snails has become more acute. Among the Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria, snail meat is an indispensable item in the diet of a nursing mother (Okonta, 2012).
Several health organization and other health experts have also reported the health benefit that is derivable from snail meat. According to World Health Organization (WHO) (2015), the therapeutic uses of snails had been on the increase as more scientific research is carried out to discover more health benefits of snail. The snail meat could be used in the treatment of ulcer, asthma and poor eye-sights. Regular eating of snail meat prevents heart problems and kidney related diseases. Musicians consume snail meat as a means of maintaining good voice and restoration of virility and vitality in humans (Okafor, 2001). In traditional medicine, snail meat is used in the preparation of love medicine to restore peace between husband and wife and among wives in polygamous homes (Odaibo, 2000). The ability of the meat to supply the entire nutrients and other health benefits depends on the extent of feeding.
Feeding is therefore defined as a process of giving feed to animals to enhance their growth (Hornby, 2014). Feed is a proportional and nutritional ingredient given to living organisms to enhance better growth (Ebenso, 2012). Feeding accounts for a reasonable percentage of the cost of livestock production and a major factor that determines the viability and
profitability of the business. In view of this, many studies are shifting interest to the use of feedstuffs such as roots, leaves, tubers and their by-products to reduce the cost of production (Agbabiaka 2013). The shortage in feed supply is more serious with deficiency in protein when compared to the availability of other classes of feed nutrient. In snail rearing, feeds of different components are required for growth and development (Adoye, 2007). Giant Africal land snails (Archachatinamarginata) need quality feeds for growth, reproduction and good health. Olaniya (2014) stated that snails usually prefer fresh, juicy, succulent leaves and vegetables to dry ones. According to Onadeko, ldoyinbo and Shotuyo (2010) the Giant African land snails are herbivores, which eat a wide range of plant materials, fruits and vegetables. They sometimes eat sand, tiny stones, bones from carcasses, compounded feeds and even broken cement blocks as calcium sources for hardening of their shell. Snails are very sensitive to any lingering pesticide residue, thus fruits and vegetables are washed thoroughly before using them as animal feed.
Animal feeds can be classified into different groups. Ejidike and Omisade (2015) identified two sources of feeds which are natural feed and the compounded feed. The natural feed source consists of leaves, fruits, tubers and household wastes while the formulated or compounded feeds are concentrate which have been prepared from different feed ingredients. Most often, the cost of preparing these feed or buying it from the market are too exhaubitants to be provided by the average farmers. Most formulated feeds contain growth promoter which helps the animal to grow at a high rate. Such feed with growth promoters are called additive.
Additive according to WHO (2017) is a substance that maintains or improves the safety, freshness, taste, texture or appearance of feed. Okenwa (2010) stated that feed additives are used to help growing animals digest their food more effectively, attain maximum benefit from it,and allow them to develop into strong and healthy individuals. Amchova (2015) defined additive as a
supplement provided by farmers to help make up for any nutrient deficiency in the animal, thus the farmer provides the regular feed meals and in addition supplement with certain nutrients. Additive in the context of this study is a substance with nutritional element added to snail feed in order to improve its palatability or improve the nutrient content of the feed. When additive is properly used in the right combination, it enhances the animal growth performance.
Growth performance is the manner in which animal functions through its natural developmental stage to attain desired goal. Growth performance in snail refers to the weight gain or shell length/width attained within a short period of time. Growth performance is largely dependent on the amount of nutrient supplied and absorbed by the specific tissues of the body. The body weight in animal is the most widely used growth index from birth to maturity ( Hodasi,
2012). Osinowo (2007) further opined that growth performance is measured by the body weight of an animal. According to Ebenso (2013) a change in body weight relative to the initial weight of an animal is referred to as growth rate or growth performance. Ebenso (2014) further reported that growth performance is influenced by some other factors like genetic make-up, feed types, nutritional content of the feed, disease, hormones, management systems and species of animal. Akinnusi (2012) asserted that body weight has been used by local sellers, buyers and researchers as a parameter or growth index for selection of snails for rearing or consumption. Okon and Iboro (2010) reported that growth performance in Giant African land snails (Archachatinamarginata) have generated interest among Nigerian researchers as farmers demand recipes for raising snails to market weight in the shortest possible time. Cobbinah (2003) observed that growth performance in snails vary considerably between individual snails in each population groups. The growth performance mostly reflects in the shell length/size and
weight gain of a particular snail. Amusan and Omidiji (2013) observed that weight gain and shell growth correlate positively with feed intake.
In Nsukka Agricultural zone, rearing of snail is dominated by peasant farmers who gather the snail from the forest for consumption or to sell them to the local market. Ifediba (2007) stated that snail is still seasonal within Nsukka and can only be purchased from the market during rainy season. Okonkwo (2012) further observe that large scale production of snail in Nsukka has not been recorded. There have been attempt by a few farmers within the study area to produce snail under intensive system, although embraced, but the slow growth performance due to climatic factors, poor knowledge in nutrition of snail as well as breeding, genetics and management have limited the large scale production. These have affected the commercial production of snail within the area. Hence the demand for the snail always exceeds the supply thereby making the available ones expensive. Consequently farmers are constantly faced with the problem of choice of the most suitable feed that must be provided so as to manage snails under intensive system and promote sustainable production.
Statement of the Problem
The implication of alarming increase in population, fall in crude oil price and high exchange rate has increased the price of protein feed in Nigerian markets and other part of African countries. Majority of citizen can no longer afford adequate three square meal pay day and costly animal protein to supplement it. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO, 2015) recommended that 65-70g of protein is needed per day per adult, out of which 35g must be of animal origin and this recommendation is hardly realizable in Nsukka. Therefore, researchers are interested in identifying these current challenges by looking inward to non-conventional micro
livestock with hope of sustaining the immediate protein need to help reach the FAO
recommendation.
A rich, highly prolific and high desirable source of animal protein that is not well exploited over the years in West African is snail. Snail as a micro livestock is capable of meeting the animal protein requirement of the population if attention is directed towards its production. This is because snail meat is rich in protein, low in fat and a source of iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc (Ademolu 2004). Snail is also high in protein (88.35%) and iron (45.50mg 1kg), low in fat and contains almost all the amino acids needed by human (Cobbinahet al, 2012).
Snail meat (Congo meat) is very palatable, tasty and highly nutritious. Snail can be picked from the bush and used by man in diet but indiscriminate burning of bushes, deforestation and fetching of firewood from the forest has limited its natural availability. Therefore the high demand for household consumption and market could not be meat.
Furthermore, one of the major problems of domestication of snail is the inability to imitate perfectly the conditions in the wild so as to maximize the growth and reproductive potentials of the snails. Okon and Ibom (2012) reported that much have to be done to achieve the task of natural environment for snail as a great gap still exist between snails in the wild and those reared in captivity. Okon and Ibom (2012) further stated that the major obstacle to efficient snail production in intensive and semi intensive management system is the high cost of feed materials. Omole (2013) stated that feed cost is responsible for 60-70% of the total cost of production and most farmers lack the necessary skills for formulating snail feed. Ademolu et al (2012) stated that, one of the challenges facing snail farming is formulating an improved diet that will meet the nutrient requirement of snail. The farmers tend to feed the snails with the natural feeds but most of the desired natural palatable feed like lettuce, water leaf, spinach, eggplant, pumpkin,
pineapple fruit and shoot, sweat potato, banana are only available during the rainy season. This has seriously affected the production of snail and farmers have to wait for the abundant of these leaves before rearing the snail, thus making snail farming a seasonal production. Okenwoke (2012) asserted that the consequence of seasonal production of snail within Nsukka Agricultural zone, have created a negative impact on snail farming since those who have interest in it will have to wait during the rainy season when most of the snail feed are abundant. However, some plants like pawpaw leaf and water leaf are desirable to snail and produce leaves within rainy and dry season. These leaves are palatable and could be utilized as additives in compounding snail feeds, however their nutrients contributions to the growth performance to Archachatinamarginata is still not sufficient to farmers. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the effect of pawpaw leaves and water leaves additives on the growth performance of Giant African land snail (Archachatinemarginata).
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of the study was to determine the effect of pawpaw and water leaves additive on the growth performance of Giant African land snail (Archachatinamarginata). Specifically, the study sought to determine the:
1. effect of pawpaw leaf additive on growth performance of Giant African land snail
(Archachatinamarginata).
2. effect of water leaf additive on the growth performance of Giant African land snail
(Archachatinamarginata).
3. differences in growth performance of Giant African land snail (Archachatinamarginata)
fed with pawpaw and those fed with water leaves additives.
4. feed intake of Giant African land snail (Archachatinamarginata) fed with pawpaw leaf and those fed water leaf additive.
Significance of the Study
The finding of the study will be of benefit to snail farmers, teachers, students, researchers and the general public.
The study will provide information to farmers through the help of extension agent. The farmers require information on how to improve their production and through the findings of the study, a better change is expected. The pawpaw and water leaves additive which are meant to promote the fast growth of snail will help and boast their production.
In addition, the study will be of good help to Agricultural teachers and Animal Husbandry teachers. Through the help of curriculum planners, the information that is contain here could be made available to the teachers. Hence, it will provide them with relevant information on the feeding of snail. It will also serve as a reference material with regard to snail production.
Furthermore, the findings of this study through the curriculum planners and the teachers will rich the hands of the students who will utilize it in improving their knowledge on snail production. It will also encourage the students to embark on snail rearing since the alternative feeding of snail for fast growth through pawpaw leaves and water leaves is being advocated.
The finding of this study will also serve as a reference material to other researchers who may wish to carry out study on the related topic. Each research work is meant to be in the library, and students can consult them and make some points that will help them in their study too.
The last result of this finding is aimed at enhancing the protein consumption of the general public. If the general public are enlighten through seminars, workshops and
demonstration on the protein level and health benefit of snail. It will have a positive result on them and it will in turn boast the production of snail by farmers.
Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study:
1. What are the effects of pawpaw leaf additive on the growth performance of Giant Africa land snail?
2. What are the effects of water leaf additive on the growth performance of Giant African
Land snail?
3. What is the growth performance difference between Giant African Land snails fed with pawpaw and water leaves additives?
4. What is the rate of feed intake of Giant African Land Snail fed with pawpaw leaves and those fed with water leaves additive?
Research Hypotheses
The following hypothesis formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significant guided the work.
H01 :There is no significant difference in the mean growth performance of snail fed with pawpaw leaves additive and those fed with water leaf or conventional feed.
H02: There is no significant difference in the mean growth performance of snail fed with water leaf additive and those fed with pawpaw leaf or conventional feed.
H03:There is no significant difference in the mean feed intake of snails fed with pawpaw leaves additive and those fed with water leaves additive.
H04: There is no significant difference in the rate of feed intake of Giant African Land snail fed with pawpaw leaves and those fed with water leaves additive.
Scope of the Study
The study is restricted to determining the effect of pawpaw and water leaves additive on growth performance of Giant African land snail (Archachatinamarginata). The parameters centered on the weight gain, length and width as well as the daily feed intake of snails. The experimental diets consisted of prepared feed using pawpaw leaf and water leaf additive.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
EFFECT OF PAWPAW AND WATER LEAVES ADDITIVES ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF GIANT AFRICAN LAND SNAIL (ARCHACHATINA MARGINATA)
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