Substitution of Poultry Litter for Concentrate Mix as Protein Supplement on Growth Performance of Arsi-Bale Goat

Twenty-five intact yearling goats, were randomly assigned to a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with five treatments and five replications. The aim was to assess the impact of different levels of poultry litter (PL) on feed intake, digestibility, growth performance, and economic return of Arsi Bale goats. Different levels of poultry litter were supplemented in various treatment groups i.e T1- 38.5 % Noug Seed Cake (NSC) + 60.5 % Wheat Bran (WB) + 1% Salt) being control group, T2 (31.6% NSC + 57.4%WB + 10% PL + 1% Salt), T3 (24.8% NSC + 54.3%WB + 20% PL + 1% Salt), T4 (17.9% NSC + 51.1%WB + 30% PL + 1% Salt) and T5 (11.5% NSC + 47.5%WB + 40% PL + 1% Salt). The trial lasted for 90 days, and there were seven days of digestibility testing. There was no significant difference in initial body weight (IBW) and final body weight (FBW) among the treatments, but a significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in the total body weight gain (TWG) and average daily weight gain (AGD). Goats supplemented with the highest level of poultry litter (T5) gained more weight (P<0.05) than the other groups. The results indicate that supplementing with 40% PL is more effective in increasing weight gain and is economically feasible compared to the other treatments and the control group. No significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in dry matter intake (DMI), organic matter intake (OMI), and crude protein intake (CPI) with increased levels of supplementation. Digestibility did not differ significantly among the treatments. The feed conversion ratio was 6.33, 8.00, 8.18, 11.77, and 11.29 g/gm gain for T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively. Therefore, poultry litter can substitute up to 40% as source of protein for NSC and/or WB without affecting the nutrients utilization but with improved growth performance of goats. Further levels of inclusion of PL and the necessary physical or chemical treatments are recommended to assess more profitable return and possible impact on carcass quality.