Effect of Cassava Peel Based Diets on Performance and Meat Quality of Snail (Archachatina marginata Swainson)

The effect of cassava peel (CPL) incorporation (0,5, 10 and 15%) in the diets of growing snails (average initial weight 66.0 ± 0.15 g) on the growth performance, shell morphological changes, digestibility of nutrients, carcass yield and mineral element composition of the meat was investigated. The nutritional trial adopted four T1 (0%), T2 (5%), T3 (10%) and T4 (15%) almost isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets. Two hundred and forty growing snails were randomly allotted at 60 snails/treatment, while each treatment was replicated three times. The digestibility of nutrients was evaluated at the 12th of the fourteen-week trial. Data collected were analyzed in a complete randomized design using (ANOVA), a significant difference among the means was separated using Duncan's multiple range test. Cassava peel is rich in NFE (70.0%), low in crude protein (3.94%), while the four diets held almost equal proximate composition. Feed intake increased (P<0.05) from T1 to T4 and T1 (control) had the best (P<0.05) carcass yield. Survivability of snails at all levels was 100%. Highest dry matter digestibility (70.01%) was obtained in T1; the digestibility of other nutrients also reduced (P< 0.05) with CPL incorporation. Meat mineral composition was not compromised by the treatments. Cassava peel based diet was favourably utilized at 15% CPL incorporation without any adverse effect on feed intake, growth, meat quality and carcass yield, farmers should adopt it.