). Growth performance and carcass characteristics of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) fed diets containing plantain peel meal as a replacement for maize.

Abstract

An eight weeks (56 days) feeding trial was conducted on 4 – 6 weeks’ old growing guinea pigs totaling 24 of mixed sexes, to evaluate their growth performance when fed diets containing graded levels of plantain peel meal (Musa paradisiaca) at 0 %, 10 %, 20 % and 30 % dietary inclusion levels, to form Diet T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The animals were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each and each group sub-divided into three replicates of two guinea pigs per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design experiment (CRD). The experimental diets and clean drinking water were offered to the growing guinea pigs ad libitum. Data were collected on feed intake and weight gain. At the end of the 8th week, three animals were randomly selected per treatment (one from each replicate), slaughtered with a knife by severing their jugular veins and their carcass characteristics determined. Results show that there were no significant (p>0.05) differences in initial body weight, final body weight, total body weight gain and total feed intake among the treatments. However, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (p<0.05) better for the Control Diet than for the plantain peel meal diets. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in all the carcass characteristics determined and in all the cut-up parts between guinea pigs fed diets containing varying levels of plantain peel meal. The heart showed significant (p<0.05) differences; all the other organs such as thorax, intestine, liver, kidney, gall bladder, lungs and spleen showed no significant (p>0.05) differences among the treatments. Hence, it can be concluded that plantain peel meal can be included up to 30 % in the diet of growing guinea pigs with no detrimental effects on their growth performance and carcass characteristics.