Abstract:
Two experiments were conducted to determine the performance of African land giant snail Archachatina marginata fed varied levels of cassava peels and coco yam peels in replacement for maize. Four diets were compounded for each peels at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60% and fed to juvenile A. marginata replicated three times for 14 weeks in 24 perforated baskets containing 4 samples each i.e. 12 baskets for each experiment. Growth performance and nutrient utilization based on body weight gain, shell length, shell breath, shell thickness, feed intake, feed conversion, and carcass characteristics were determined. In the result of snails fed cassava peels there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) among the final mean shell thickness, and the feed conversion ratio. But there was significant difference (P< 0.05) in the final mean weight gain, final mean feed intake, final mean shell length and the final mean shell breadth, between diets 0%, 40% and 60%.
The result for the snails fed cocoyam peel showed that there was significant difference (P< 0.05) in the final mean shell length between diets 40% and 60%. While there was no significant difference (P>0.05) among the final mean weight gain, final mean feed intake, final mean shell thickness, final mean shell breadth and the feed conversion ratio. Feed efficiency decreased with the increased level of cassava and cocoyam peels in the diet.
It is concluded that at lower levels cassava and cocoyam peels could be used to replace maize in the diet of African giant land snail without any adverse effects.
