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Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances

Year: 2008 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 2 | Page No.: 92-97
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Authors

O.S. Lamidi

I.A. Adeyinka

C.B.I. Alawa

P.P. Barje

R. Ali-Balogun

Keywords

Research Article

Survey of Dry Season Feed Resources for Smallholder Fattening Schemes in Northern Nigeria

O.S. Lamidi, I.A. Adeyinka, C.B.I. Alawa, P.P. Barje and R. Ali-Balogun
A survey study was conducted to monitor the available dry season feed resource options for small holder fatteners in Katsina, Kano and Kaduna states of Nigeria, area partly covering the ecological zones of the Semi-arid, Sudan and Northern Guinea Savannas. The study covered 80 small scale farmers. Structured questionnaire were used to collect information and feed were sampled for laboratory analysis. Cereal crop residue such as maize, sorghum and millet stover and unimproved grass hay were the major basal feedstuffs offered for fattening while sugar cane leaves and tops were predominantly used in the flood plain (fadama) areas. Maize offal and threshed sorghum panicle constitute the main high energy sources used in the dry season fattening schemes. Groundnut, cowpea, soybean haulms and whole cotton seed and to a little extend cotton seed cake were the protein supplements of choice. Combinations of the available crop residue of low nutritive value with the protein and energy supplements ensured moderate levels of weight gain (338.75-360.21 g day-1) and body condition score (4-5) of fattened bulls within two and half months. The result shows that conventional feedstuffs such as cotton seed cake, other oil seed cake and whole Maize are of limited relevance under smallholder fattener conditions. The study underscores the need to develop appropriate supplementation package relevant to each ecological zone. This should emphasize the optimal use of the available non-conventional feed resources at the farmers level in order to guarantee greater productivity and sustainability of the small holder fattening scheme in the increasingly resource limited environment of Northern Nigeria.
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