ISSN 2167-0447
International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-009, January, 2023. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Effect of protein supplementation on weight gain and dressing percentage of West African Dwarf goats experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis
Linus I. Mhomga1*, Pius A. Nnadi2, Samuel N. Chiejina3, Idika K. Idika4 and Lucas A. Ngongeh3
1Department of Animal Health and Production, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, PMB 2373, Makurdi, Benue State- Nigeria,
2Department of Animal Health and Production, University of Nigeria, Nsukka;
3Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike;
4Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Accepted 13 November, 2022
Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of protein supplementation on body weight and dressing percentage of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats infected with mixed gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections. Twenty worm free male WAD goats aged 6-8 months were assigned to four groups (A-D) of five animals each based on body weight. Animals in groups A and B were fed forages and supplemented with concentrates while groups C and D were fed only forages. Groups A and D were experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus (Hc) and Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Tc) while B and C were not infected. The goats were exposed weekly to trickle escalating infection with the infective larval stage of the parasites (L3), at single doses of 500 L3 in week 1, 1000 L3 in week 2, 2000 L3 in week 3 and 4000 L3 in week 4. Body weight, faecal egg counts (FEC) per gram of faeces and worn burden (Wb) were determined using standard procedures. Dressing percentage was determined at the end of the experiment after the animals were humanely sacrificed. The results showed a There was a significant negative correlation between worm burden and day 42 (D42) body weight (rp = -0.76; P = 0.01). BCS on D42 was also significant and negatively correlated with worm burden (rs = -0.72; P = 0.02). The mean dressing percentage of the groups A and B were significantly higher than groups C and D (P< 0.05). The mean, ± S.E.M, dressing percentages for groups A, B, C and D were 59.4 ± 0.6, 60.6 ± 0.7, 56.8 ± 0.4 and 52.4 ± 2.0 respectively. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between groups A and B. There was a significant positive correlation between D42 worm burden and faecal egg counts of both Hc and Tc on D40 and D42 (rp = 0.74; P= 0.01). We concluded that supplementation ameliorated the negative impact of the infections on body weight and therefore, improved the dressing percentage.
Keywords: Body weight, dressing percentage, WAD goats, faecal egg counts, worm burdens