Performance of Snails (Archachatina Marginata) Fed with Two Different Leaf Materials and Poultry Top-Starter Feed
Abstract
The growth performance of snails (Archachatina marginata) fed with two different leaf materials and poultry top-starter feed were observed in this study. Ninety (90) grower snails obtained from local farmers at Ndioro- Oboro market in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia state were randomly assigned to three (3) treatments group (T1, T2, T3) of thirty (30) snails and three replicates with ten (10) snails each in a Completely Randomized Design. Treatment one (T1) was poultry commercial top – starter feed (control), treatment two (T2) was paw-paw leaf and treatment three (T3) was Luffa sponge leaf (LSL). All the growth parameters of the snails on T1 were significantly (P<0.05) different and superior to snails fed T2 and T3 (final weight gain 396.33g, average weight gain 313.67g, total feed intake 74.31g and feed conversion ratio 4.22). The carcass characteristics followed the same pattern (shell weight 28.96g, visceral weight 18.30g, foot weight 27.89g, shell length 11.23g and shell mouth length 5.10g) were all significantly different (P<0.05) and superior to snails from the other two diets. From the result of the study, it could be recommended that poultry top-starter be formulated along with either of the two treatments for better profit in snail production.
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