Digestibility Coefficients of Cattle Hoof Meal Diet by African Catfish Clarias gariepinus Juvenile

Abstract

Digestibility trial of Cattle hoof waste subjected to five processing methods was conducted on Clarias gariepinus juveniles. A reference diet 70 % and test diet 30 % was formulated with chromic oxide biomarker. Feed and feacal samples collected at 8h interval after feeding were analysed for proximate parameters and digestibility coefficient calculated. There was significant difference (P < 0.05) among treatments crude protein digestibility was highest in Reference diet (88.26 ± 0.04) < soda ash diet (87.49 ± 0.04) < fermented diet (82.15 ± 0.10) < wood ash diet (81.26 ± 0.03) < raw hoof diet (79.57 ± 0.05) and lowest in Autoclaved diet (77.69 ± 0.02). Nutrient digestibility also showed significant difference (P < 0.05) among treatments with highest values for soda ash diets parameters and least protein nutrient in autoclaved diet (58.99±0.08 ); fat, dry matter and energy nutrient in raw hoof diet (56.41 ± 3.49; 23.39 ± 0.16; 25.71 ± 0.75). This study concludes that Clarias gariepinus juveniles can be fed soda ash treated cattle hoof waste.

Keywords

• digestibility, keratin, cattle-hoof-meal.