FEED INTAKE AND WEIGHT GAIN OF GOATS FED DIETS CONTAINING CHITOSAN FEED ADDITIVE FROM SNAIL SHELLS

ABSTRACT

Chitosan, extracted from snail shells, has emerged as a potential feed additive with promising effects on livestock nutrition and performance. This experiment investigates the effect of incorporating varying levels of chitosan feed additive from snail shells into the diets of goats on feed intake and weight gain. West African Dwarf (WAD) goats were allocated through randomization and balancing for weight into four treatment groups: control (without additive), 0.5% chitosan, 1% chitosan, and 0.01% oxytetracycline antibiotic. The experiment was carried out using a Completely Block Design (CBD). The goats were housed individually and fed experimental diets formulated with graded levels of the respective additives for 21 days. Data on feed intake and weight gain were recorded weekly. The results showed no significant differences in feed intake among the treatment groups over the 21-day period. Similarly, weight gain did not differ significantly between the control and the chitosan or antibiotic supplemented groups. The study suggests that incorporating up to 1% chitosan from snail shells in goat diets does not adversely affect feed intake or weight gain compared to a control diet without additives or a diet with antibiotic supplementation. Further research is needed to investigate the potential benefits of chitosan as a natural feed additive for goat production.