Lactating performance of West African dwarf does fed dietary levels of boiled rubber seed meal based diets
Authors: Udo M. D. , Ahamefule F. O. , Ibeawuchi J. A. , Ekpo J. S. 
Published: February 2021

Animal milk has been an outstanding balanced food for man, and a very good source of protein to man. The bulk of milk consumed in Nigeria is imported. An experiment was conducted with twelve lactating West African dwarf does that were at their second parity using graded levels (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) of boiled rubber seed meal to investigate their colostrum and normal milk yield and proximate compositions. The rubber seeds were boiled for 30 minutes, dehulled and dried for three days before being milled and used alongside cassava peels, brewer dried grain, palm kernel cake, bone meal and salt to formulate boiled rubber seed meal based diet. The twelve does were individually housed in a well ventilated cement floored pen with wood shaving as bedding material. 1 kg of the concentrate diet designated as A, B, C and D were randomly assigned to the four treatment groups. The diets were supplied to the does in wooden feeding trough at 0800 hour in the morning while 2 kg of Panicum maximum was fed to the does by 1400 hours daily. The does were fed with the concentrate diet at the beginning of their last month of pregnancy and through to the 55th day of post-partum. The kids were weighed on their first day of parturition. Colostrum was collected, weighed and samples stored at -5oC in a refrigerator for constituent analysis, but certain sample of colostrum was also used for lactose analysis daily. The lactating does were hand milked once in the morning and a constant 0.6596 was used as a weighing factor on the morning yield using S=M+0.6596M as correcting factor. Prior to each day milking, kids were separated from the dams from 1800 hour and fed with the aid of feeding bottle. Colostrum and normal milk samples were analysed for crude protein, (Nx6.38), lactose, total solids, solid-not-fat, butterfat, ash and energy. Lactose was analysed using Marier and Boulet procedures. Butterfat was determined by Kjeldahl and Markhaps apparatus while solid-not-fat was obtained from the differences between butterfat and total solids. Energy was computed using multiple regression equation. AOAC method was used to determine the proximate composition of the experimental diets. There was no significant differences (P<0.05) among the treatment groups (A, B, C, D) in their colostrum yield (66.75, 77.69, 73.67 and 69.33), total solids (17.24, 17.39, 16.47 and 16.99) and butterfat (4.90, 4.90, 4.88 and 4.85) respectively. But CP, SNF, lactose, ash and energy had significant differences (P>0.05) in their colostrum with treatment D having superior value (6.87%) compared to A (6.58%), B (6.50%) and C (6.44%). The CP value increases as the BRSM increases in diet. All parameters in normal milk were statistically similar in their values, but treatment B (10% BRSM) expressed superior value among the treatment groups. In this study, 30%BRSM promoted least milk yield while 10%BRSM promoted highest milk yield. Therefore, 10% inclusion level of BRSM is recommended for lactating WAD does for high milk yield.