Abstract 183

Ikurior,-SA; Fetuga,-BLA

Dep. Animal Production, Univ. Jos, Makurdi Campus, PMB 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria.

Journal-of-the-Science-of-Food-and-Agriculture. 1988, 44: 1, 1-8; 24 ref.

Nigerian processed cottonseed meal replaced 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100% of dietary groundnut cake on an equi-protein basis. Diets were given to 50 Large White and Large White X Landrace pigs from 13.9 kg average weight to 70 kg in a bi-replicate single-way classification trial. Average daily gain and average daily feed intake were 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.55 and 0.56 kg; and 1.67, 1.77, 1.85, 1.84 and 1.82 kg for the respective diets. Feed:gain ratios ranged from 3.25 to 3.49. There were no significant differences between diets for either of those variables. Neither the gross tissue nor the jointed carcass proportions were significantly affected by cottonseed meal substitutions. Mean fresh weights of the liver and lungs decreased non-significantly with increasing dietary cottonseed meal. None of the pigs showed signs of gossypol intoxication. The results suggest that some of the Nigerian-processed cottonseed meals can be combined in various proportions with groundnut cake to supply protein, or used singly up to 20%, in diets for weaner-grower pigs.