A note on the nutritive value of dry ripe plantain peels as a replacement of maize for goats

Twenty-four West African Dwarf (WAD) goats with a mean liveweight of 2.88 ± 0.08 kg, 9-12 months old were randomly divided according to sex and weight into 4 groups of 6 animals each.Plantain peels (DMRPP) replaced maize at 0, 60, 80 and 100% levels in the concentrates that were fedaJ libitum for 84 days.Voluntary concentrate intakes decreased linearly, but not at a significant level (P>0.05) as the substitution of maize with plantain peels increased in the diet.Forage intake among the four groups remained within the same limits.Daily liveweight gains were higher (PO.05) at the 60 and 80 % replacement levels with values of 73 and 74 g/head/day, respectively, compared to 70 and 68 g/head/day for the 0 and 100% replacement levels.There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between diets 1 (0%, only maize) and 4 (100%, only plantain peels) in daily liveweight gains.Dry matter, starch and energy were digested better (P<0.05) in diet 1 but crude protein and crude fibre fractions were digested worse (P<0.05)than in the other diets.Cost/ kg of diet and of liveweight gain declined in descending order of maize replacement with DMRPP.Results of the trial indicated that DMRPP is acceptable and can substitute for maize for goats without adverse effects on growth and animal performance.Plantain peels also proved to be an economical source of carbohydrate in goat nutrition, especially in areas where plantain abounds.