Blood metabolites and carcass characteristics of West African dwarf goats fed bread waste and Moringa oleifera leaf

Abstract

The study evaluated the blood metabolites and carcass quality of WAD goats fed bread waste and Moringa oleifera leaf. The goats (n=20, 6-7 months old) were allotted to four treatments (5 goats per treatment) in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted twenty weeks. Bread waste and Moringa oleifera were used to replace Corn bran and Brewer's dried grain (w/w) in the compounded concentrate diets at 0, 25, 50 and 100% to form treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The goats fed diets T2, T3 and T4 had lower (P < 0.05) cholesterol levels (52.83, 45.11, and 33.69 mg/dL, respectively) than T1 (54.89 mg/dL). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) among the means of the hematological indices across the treatments. However, the total protein of goats fed diets T2, T3 and T4 were higher (P < 0.05) than those on T1. The serum metabolite of the experimental goats indicated no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the albumin, (AST) and a (ALP) contents while the total protein of goats fed diets T2, T3 and T4 (6.37, 6.39 and 6.53 g/dL respectively) were higher (P < 0.05) than T1 (4.66). The hot carcass weights of goats fed diets T4 (4.56 kg) and T3 (4.45 kg) were higher (P < 0.05) than those on diets T2 (4.21 kg) and T1 (4.01kg) whereas there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the aspartate aminotransferase lkaline phosphate dressing percentage and head weight. The goats fed diet T1 had highest (P < 0.05) value for the lungs, kidney and spleen weight when compared to diets T2, T3 and T4. It could be concluded that inclusion of bread waste and Moringa oleifera leaf in diet of WAD goats reduced blood cholesterol level, enhanced flesh deposition in the carcass and impacted no