Effect of Concentrate Feeding Regimens on the Morphometric, Gastrointestinal Tract Parts and Visceral Organs Weight of Grasscutter Fed Pennisetum Purpureum.
Author(s)
Peter Noah Gboshe , Ebiloma Stella Osarenakhue ,
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Abstract
The study was designed to determine the effect of concentrate feed regimes on the morphometric indices and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) parts weights of grasscutter fed pennisetum purpureum as basal feed. Twenty (20) grasscutters between the ages of 3-4 months were equalized by weight and used in a Completely Randomized Design. Five different treatment regimes with a treatment having four replicates with an animal serving as a replicate were used. The treatments were; treatment 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9% respectively of concentrate feed which were served at their weekly live weight. Parameters measured included, Entire GIT, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, caecum and colon/rectum for morphometric characteristics and also for weighed. Results obtained showed that, the entire (GIT) and some of it components (empty stomach, small intestine, caecum and colon/rectum) expressed as percentages of their live weight differed in all the treatments apart from Oesophagus. The average length of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the grasscutter varied from 335.00 to 411.00 cm and it was significant. The longest length was in T5 while the shortest was in T1. .It was observed in this study that the relative weights of entire GIT and it components (empty small intestine, caecum and colon/Rectum in T5 had a superior weight and they were significantly (P<0.05) different from other treatments. These findings generally suggested that the feeding regimes had a significant effect (P<0.05) on some morphometric traits and the relative weights of the grasscutter GIT.
Keywords
Concentrate supplement regimes, Morphometric characteristics, organ weights, Grasscutters, Pennisetum purpureum
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