GRAIN REPLACEMENT VALUE OF CASSAVA AND SWEET POTATO FOR GROWING LAMBS

I. EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPOSITION

Abstract

TWENTY-FOUR rams of the West African Dwarf X Yankasa crosses, 6 to 7 months old, ranging in liveweight from 11 to 14 kg were randomly alloted to maize, sweet potato and cassava based rations. These rations constituted the concentrates which were fed as supplement to Cynodon nlemfuensis. Three rams from each treatment were slaughtered at the end of 30 day and another set of three rams each were slaughtered on the dietary treatments and other nine, 140 day later Replacement of the conventional maize grains by dried milled cassava and potato tubers in sheep diet did not dentess the growth rate, dressing-out percentages, major cuts, quality of the organs. and the general performances of the animals. Sweet potato based diet however improved the feed per gain estimate, the fats and protein content of the carcass. The highest proportion of lean ment was produced by the animals fed cassava based diet.