Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the body and carcass linear measurements in rams fed diets in which maize and wheat offal mixture was replaced with biscuit waste (biscuit water meal (BWM)) and Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal (Llh) mixture 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%, respectively. The dietary treatments were designated as B0, B1, B2, B3 and B4, respectively. Twenty (20) apparently healthy Yankassa rams, 9 to 11 month old win an initial average live weight of 12.17 ± 0.33 kg were assigned into five groups of 4 animals per group, balanced for weight and randomly allotted to the dietary treatments in a completely randomized design experiment. Water was provided without restoration. Body linear measurements were obtained weekly during the trial that lasted for 91 days. At the end of the feeding trial, animals were subjected to a 16 h fast and slaughtered for carcass linear measurements. Results showed that treatment effect was significant (P<0.05) for all linear body variables except for body length and rump length of rams fed experimental diets. Also, carcass linear measurement of carcass length, internal and external cheat girt, length of distal parts of fore and hind legs, circumference of fore and hind legs, length and width of legs in rams improved significantly (P<0.05) when maize and wheat offal mixture was replaced with biscuit waste and L.. Luecocephala meal mixture in the control diet. However, the rams treated on 25 and 50% biscuit waste meal and L. leucocephala meal mixture exhibited significantly higher (P<0.05) body and carcass linear measurements than the rams on other diets.

Key words: Body, carcass, linear, measurements, rams, biscuit waste, Leucaena leucocephala.