Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality Evaluation of Sheep Fed Diets Containing Napier Grass and Graded Levels of Cocoa Pod Husk with Soursop Pulp Meals

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine performance, carcass traits and meat quality evaluation of sheep fed napier grass and different proportion of cocoa pod husk and soursop pulp meals. Eighteen (18) West African Dwarf rams, aged between 7 and 8 months old with mean weight of 7.00 ± 0.55kg were allotted to three dietary treatments with two replicates of three sheep per treatment in a completely randomized design. The compared treatment diets were; T_A (70% napier grass and 30% concentrate diet), T_B (45% cocoa pod husk with 25% soursop pulp and 30% concentrate diet) and T_C (50% cocoa pod husk with 20% soursop pulp and 30% concentrate diet). The experimental diets were given to the sheep at 6% of their body weight and the experiment lasted for 84days after 14days of adjustment period. The results showed that average daily feed intake (221.79g), nitrogen intake (18.02g/day), total nitrogen loss (5.08g/day) and chilling losses (12.85%) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in diet T_A compared with diets T_B and T_C. Treatment diet T_C was significantly (P < 0.05) better in total body weight gain (3.66kg), average daily weight gain (43.57g), total digestible nutrient (74.69%), nitrogen retention (77.58%, slaughter weight (11.02kg), hot carcass weight (5.68kg), cold carcass yields (5.23kg), hot with cold carcass yields (51.54 and 47.46%), appearance (6.81), tenderness (6.20) and overall acceptability (6.85) than other treatment diets. Initial body weight, flavor and juiciness were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the treatment diets. It was concluded that 50% cocoa pod husk with 20% soursop pulp and 30% concentrate diet has the potential to enhance performance, carcass traits and meat quality evaluation in sheep.