What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to evaluate how dietary spring onion affects growth, nutrient use, and methane emissions in West African dwarf goats.

June 18, 2026Open Access

Dietary Supplementation with Spring Onion on Growth, Nutrient Utilization, Economic Analyses and In Vitro Methane Emissions in West African Dwarf Goats

Key Points

The aim is to evaluate how dietary spring onion affects growth, nutrient use, and methane emissions in West African dwarf goats.
240 West African dwarf male goats aged 7-8 months were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments.
Diets varied based on spring onion inclusion (0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) along with guinea grass.
In vitro methane production and growth performance were assessed.
Goats on the 3% spring onion diet had higher weight gain (71.29g) compared to others (p<0.05).
Methane emissions were reduced in diets with higher spring onion inclusion.
Net profit was significantly higher in the 3% and 4% spring onion groups compared to the control.

Abstract

Abstract : The study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with spring onion on growth, nutrient utilization, economic analyses and in vitro methane emissions in West African dwarf goats. Two hundred and forty West African dwarf male goats aged between 7 to 8 months old with initial average live body weight of 7.00 ± 0.08kg were used for the study. They were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments with sixty goats per treatment in a completely randomized design. The prepared experimental diets that were received by goats contained ED1 (60% guinea grass with no spring onion as the control group), ED2 (59% guinea grass with 1% spring onion), ED3 (58% guinea grass with 2% spring onion) and ED4 (57% guinea grass with 3% spring onion). Firstly, the evaluation comprised in vitro study of methane gas production and then followed by in vivo study of growth, nutrient utilization and economic analysis of goats. In all the diets examined, results showed that in vitro ammonia nitrogen concentration(12.04 mg/100ml), total volatile fatty acids(4.01 mmol), acetate (64.93 mol/100mol), butyrate (12.09 mol/100mol), methane (71.22 mL/gDM), fractional rate of gas production(0.079h-1), average gas production rate(3.04Ml/h), daily feed intake (256.29g/day), feed conversion ratio (6.15), digestibility of ether extract (65.05%), ash (68.01%), faecal with urinary nitrogen output(2.98 and 1.72g/day), total nitrogen output (4.78g/day) and total cost in naira (125,400) were significantly (p0.05) were found in rumen pH, acetate/propionate ratio, iso-butyrate, valerate, iso-valerate, asymptotic gas production and initial body weight among treatments. It can be concluded that inclusion levels of 3 and 4% spring onion as supplement to 58 and 57% guinea grass with 40% concentrate diet (ED3 and ED4) improved performance of goats and suppressed in-vitro methane gas with cost reduction that resulted in higher net profit.

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