ABSTRACT
The study was designed to determine the effect of feeding varying levels of dried rumen digesta on the growth of African land giant snail (Archachatina marginata). Most snail feeds are seasonal and very expensive but rumen digesta is the waste product collected from the abattoir on daily basis at no cost. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted an experimental research with completely randomized design. The growth rate was measured using sensitive digital weighing balance while Vennier Caliper was used to measure length and width. The feed intake was measured by a weigh-back technique. Proximate analysis of the feed was determined using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1995) procedure. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) were used to analyze and test the null hypotheses. The findings depicted that treatment two (T2) with 10% rumen digesta inclusion showed the highest weight gain and the increase in length and width was slightly higher than the snails in other treatments comparatively. Besides, the snails in treatment two indicated the highest feed consumption rate. The study inferred that rumen digesta could be fed to snails at 10% level of inclusion thus providing a cheaper source of feeding snails and help in utilizing the abattoir wastes to reduce associated environmental health hazard. It is recommended that extension agents should embark upon mass sensitization of snail rearing and how to compound snail feed using rumen digesta to reduce cost. Besides, rural and urban dwellers should be educated through government sponsored seminars and workshops on the nutritive value of snails and how to rear snails throughout the year using rumen digesta. Researchers on snail farming should be motivated and assisted through funds to publish their works for wider publicity on snail feeding and rearing which is still very new in the country.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The nutrients needed for life, growth and repair of body tissues are carbohydrates, protein, fats, minerals, water and fibre. The nutrient known to be usually in short supply is protein. Protein is of two origins: those from plants and those from animals. The FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) in Nweze (2007) recommended 65-70g of protein per day per adult, out of which 35g must be of animal origin. The animal protein intake of many people is generally low leading to an acute malnutrition especially in developing countries. Oyenuga in Amusan and Omidiji (1998) stated that the essential amino acids in animal protein are more balanced and readily available to meet human dietary requirements than those of plant origin. In support of this, Akinnusi, Oso, Afolabi, Sogunle and Bamgbose (2007) stated that animal proteins are known to be preferable and better when compared with plant proteins based on their balanced amino acid profile.
The acute shortage of animal protein in the diets of many people demands that efforts should be directed to the rearing of animals that are highly prolific and highly desirable. A rich source of animal protein that has been silent for years in West Africa and is highly prolific is snail. Although man has eaten snail across the globe since pre-historic times when people gather them from the wild for food, the act of domesticating snail in most of the West African region is still a new venture (Chinwuko, 2007).
According to Akinyemi, Ojo and Akintomide (2007), the act of farming snails all started about 50 B.C. in the then Roman world where some species of snails were raised in special fattening units called “cochlear” gardens. Today, different structures are being designed
to suit the species of snails being reared and the purpose of rearing. Bequaert in Chinwuko (2003) observed that snails are not only considered as a delicacy but also a medicinal and dietary therapy for hypertension, conjunctivitis, diabetes and iron-deficiency anemia. Mead in okafor (2009) also reported that Orthocalcium phosphate extract from snail could cure kidney diseases, tuberculosis, asthma, anemia, diabetes and certain circulatory disorders. However, Chinwuko (2003) stated that the nutritional value of snail is mainly attached to its high protein value.
Developing the snail industry/farm is the latest means of bridging the protein deficiency gap presently prevailing in many countries because snail is highly prolific and very nutritive. In order to make snail supply sufficient, its rearing is very vital to supplement the conventional method of picking snails from the wild.
Snail farming known as heliculture is a veritable means of increasing animal protein intake deficiency in the diet of average Nigerians because the demand exceeds supply. Heliculture could be practiced using various species of snails like, Helix aspersa, Limicolaria Spp, Helix aperta and African land giant snails like Achatina achatina, Archachatina marginata, Achatina fulica amongst others. African land giant snails (Archachatina marginata) are mostly preferred because they are highly economical and have high demand due to their size. At maturity, they are 11-19 cm long and weigh 150-800 gm The African land giant snails have the advantages of high adaptability and survivability. They are flesher, highly prolific in addition to their being abundant in Nigeria, Ghana and along the African continent. There is need to extend the supply of snail meat to all seasons of the year. This is because the seasonality of its supply limits largely its use as a regular meat.
In order to make snail meat available all year round, there is need to initiate some organized form of domesticating/rearing snails. This entails keeping the snails in an enclosure that is conducive as well as supplying them with acceptable feeds. For continuous production of snail, concise knowledge of snail nutrition is very important. Snail generally feed on both plant materials like leaves, fruits, tubers, compounded feed and kitchen wastes like peels etc. Purchasing compounded feed is very expensive while plant materials are seasonal. Therefore, effort should be directed towards feeding snails with cheap locally available but rich feed ingredients to minimize the effect of high cost of compounded feed and seasonality of plant materials to ensure continuity of snail production all year round. There is need for sourcing locally available and cheap sources of feed ingredients particularly those that do not attract competition in consumption between humans and livestock.
One of the possible sources of this is Dried Rumen Digesta (DRD). Rumen digesta is the solid matrix or ingested feed that is at different stages of degradation with saliva as the rumen liquor as well as microorganisms in the rumen of ruminant animals. It is animal waste product collected from the abattoir, dried and utilized in compounding snail feed. Rumen Digesta not only serves as a feed nutrient but when re-cycled will also reduce disposal and environmental pollution problems. Many researchers have worked on the use of rumen digesta in compounding livestock feed. For instance, Odunsi (2003) investigated on the blend of bovine blood and rumen digesta as a replacement for fishmeal and groundnut cake in layer diets. Dairo, Aina and Asafa (2005), demonstrated the performance evaluation of growing rabbits fed varying/graded levels of rumen digesta and blood rumen digesta mixture. Emenalom, Anyanwu, Ogbonna and Esonu (2006) carried out a study on evaluation of
performance, organ characteristics and economic analysis of broiler finisher fed dried rumen digesta.
Dried Rumen Digesta contains high fibre that tends to increase the total fibre content of the snail diet. Snails require high fibre feeds to meet their energy requirement to sustain rapid growth and development. Rumen digesta also contains high protein component, undigested starchy and fibrous carbohydrates, short chain fatty acids and partially digested feed protein due to the influence of the microbial protein. The crude fibre content also activates the intestine, increases the occurrence of peristaltic movement and more enzyme production resulting to efficient absorption of nutrients in animals. (Kekeocha, 1984). This will enhance the growth of snails.
Plumer (1975) maintained that the average growth rate in snails generally is moderately low and depends largely on the type of feeding, type of management and environmental conditions. It is suspected that since rumen digesta performed very well in other animals like broiler (Emenalom et al., 2006), rabbit (Dairo et al., 2005) and layers (Odunsi, 2003) amongst others, using it to feed snail will enhance the growth rate.
This study is designed to find out the highest rumen digesta inclusion in formulating snail feed that will be most appropriate for rapid growth of snails. In order to achieve this, the experimental feed diets will be formulated using adjustable Pearson’s Square method of feed formulation to contain dried rumen digesta at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% levels respectively. The four experimental feeds will be compounded using maize, Soya bean, wheat bran, rumen digesta, fishmeal, bone meal and mineral premix. Due to high cost of wheat offal, it will be replaced with rumen digesta as a source of fibre in varying percentages. The control diet (0%) will not contain rumen digesta. Each of the four experimental feed will be fed with a particular
diet daily to three replicates consisting of twelve snails simultaneously. The four treatments will be compared later to determine the growth response of these snails to the varying levels of rumen digesta in the feed.
Furthermore, conventional ingredients used in compounding snail feed such as maize, Soya beans, fishmeal, groundnut cake, wheat bran among others are very expensive, command higher priority and can pay higher than the compounded feed industry. Therefore, the seasonality of plant materials and high cost of conventional feed ingredients have necessitated the need for finding cheaper substitutes that are readily available and can be used in managing snail enterprise thereby making snail meat available on the table of every average Nigerian all year round.
Statement of the Problem
The increase in Population of the West African Nations and the rest of the developing world and decrease in food supply has put great pressure on the available food supply. Most staple foods are carbohydrates, thus food problems are more pronounced when there is inadequate consumption of protein especially animal protein because the protein from plant sources are usually insufficient to provide man with the necessary protein requirements (Akinnusi et al., 2007).
According to Olubanjo in Whyte and Wadak (2002), the intake of animal protein by Nigerians is generally poor resulting in acute malnutrition amongst the less privileged. There is acute competition between man and animals for the available plant proteins. The conventional sources of animal protein supply are cattle, sheep, goat, pig, poultry and fish. The increasing demands for animal protein coupled with more stringent economic conditions have necessitated
greater interest in the production of cheap and very prolific micro-livestock like rabbit, grass cutter and snail amongst others to supplement other sources of animal protein.
Commercial snail production is one of the cheapest and simplest livestock productions within the reach of common person. This is because the cost benefit analysis of snail farming in Okafor (2009) showed that a farmer could commence snail enterprise with only one bucket of
400 snails costing twenty thousand naira. Since snails are highly prolific and a specie of African land giant snail lays up to 300-500 eggs per clutch, within a farming period of one year the profit margin will be very high. Besides, the management practices are very simple and within the reach of a common person when compared to other livestock production. Snails feed on a wide range of non-conventional feedstuffs that do not compete with man for the limited conventional feed resources. However, the success of snail farming as well as the availability of snail meat all through the year is largely dependent on the availability of feeds.
The availability of feeds is one of the major problems in many livestock productions including snail. Snails feed on leaves, vegetables, fruits as well as compounded feeds and kitchen wastes. Most conventional feedstuffs used in compounding the feed like maize, sorghum, soybeans and guinea corn are very costly and have high human preference and demand. Besides, plant materials are seasonal and very costly during dry season.
It is therefore very pertinent to seek for a possible solution to this problem by sourcing for alternative feed ingredients that would be locally available and affordable all year round for the farmers. One of the possible sources of this is dried rumen digesta. Rumen digesta is an unwanted material found in the recticulo-rumen of cattle and other ruminants. It could be collected from the abattoir almost on daily basis at no cost at all. Snails are known to perform well with feed rich in fibre which rumen digesta is highly rich in. Thus, instead of allowing
such waste to cause environmental pollution and nuisance, there is the need to study its effect as feed ingredient on the growth performance of snails.
Purpose of the study
The major purpose of the study is to determine the effect of feeding varying levels of dried rumen digesta (DRD) on the growth of African land giant snails with a view to producing snails throughout the year. Specifically, the study will:
1. determine the weight gain (growth response) of African giant land snails to diets containing graded levels of sun dried rumen digesta.
2. find out the increase in the length and width of snails fed graded levels of rumen digesta.
3. determine feed intake of the snails as measured by the amount of feed consumed by African land giant snails on daily basis.
Research Questions
The following questions were formulated to guide the study:
1. What is the weight gain (growth response) of African land giant snails to diets containing graded levels of sun dried rumen digesta?
2. What is the increase in the length and width of snails fed graded levels of rumen digesta?
3. What is the feed intake of snails as measured by the amount of feed consumed by African land giant snails on daily basis?
Significance of the Study
This study focuses on all year availability of snail feed for the farmers using rumen digesta as an ingredient. The study will be of great significance to snail farmers, teachers, students, parents, Government, researchers and the public.
The knowledge of this non-conventional feed ingredient if utilized by snail farmers will enable them rear snails all year round at cheaper cost and with ease by compounding snail feed with dried rumen digesta collected relatively at no cost from the abattoir
The information about the nutritive value of dried rumen digesta obtained in the study will attract students, teachers and educators into snail farming, which is very new in the country; since production cost will be reduced when rumen digesta is used. It will spur students and teachers to research further on snail farming especially the feeding. The study will serve as reference material for other researchers.
The data contained in this study, if made available to parents will attract them into trying out the feeding technique and assist their children/wards offering agricultural science by financing their school and home projects in snail rearing. The findings of this study will hopefully encourage students to embark upon snail rearing to earn a living after graduation especially if they cannot go for further studies.
The findings of this study will be of utmost benefit to Ministries of Education and Agriculture, National Resources and Agricultural Research Institutes by providing them with useful data required for curriculum reform in secondary school agricultural science, policy making and implementation on snail rearing. Besides, the data therein will spur further research on the usefulness of rumen digesta as feed for other animal production.
Undoubtedly, the findings of this study will be of great benefit to the public and investors by encouraging them to embark upon snail farming thus increasing the quantity of snail available to consumers in the market thereby boosting the animal protein intake of many people. Snails will also be sold at cheaper rates since feeding becomes cheaper using non- conventional feed ingredient (rumen digesta).
It is expedient that this study will benefit job seekers, who will embark upon snail rearing as occupation thereby enforcing a shift from over dependency on the Government for job creation. Since snail farming is a great money-spinner both locally and internationally, many people will be encouraged to take it up as occupation and become self-reliant.
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were formulated and tested at probability of 0.05 levels:
1. There is no significant difference in the mean weight gain of snails fed with rumen digesta and those fed with the control feed.
2. There is no significant difference in the mean length and width of snails fed graded levels of rumen digesta.
3. There is no significant difference in the mean feed intake of snails fed with graded levels rumen digesta
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made for the study:
1. Feeding snails with dried rumen digesta will provide adequate nutrients for the growing snails and will make for continuity of snail rearing all year round.
2. The specie of snails used for the study (Archachatina marginata), can be effectively managed by snail farmers.
3. If these snails are subjected to be fed with rumen digesta, they will still be very healthy and their mortality rate may be as low as those fed with the control group may.
Delimitation of the Study The study focused on the non-conventional snail feed using rumen digesta as the locally available feed ingredient as well as determining its nutritional value in the diets and growth of African land giant growing snails (Archachatina marginata). The parameters centered on the weight gain, length and width as well as the daily feed intake of snails. The experimental diets consisted of graded levels of feed formulated with dried rumen digesta
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
THE EFFECT OF FEEDING VARYING LEVELS OF RUMEN DIGESTA ON THE GROWTH OF AFRICAN LAND GIANT SNAIL (ARCHACHATINA MARGINATA)
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