FUW TRENDS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(A Peer Review Journal)
e–ISSN: 2408–5162; p–ISSN: 2048–5170
keywords: Cashew kernel, carcass characteristics, grasscutters, profitability
The study was conducted to investigate the performance and profitability of feeding growing grasscutters with diets containing graded levels of Cashew Kernel Processing Waste (CKPW). Twelve grasscutters were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments of three replicates each. Each replicate had one grasscutter with T1 having a diet with no inclusion of cashew kernel processing nwaste and maize inclusion at 30%, while T2 had CKPW inclusion of 10% and maize at 20%, T3 had CKPW inclusion of 20% and maize at 10% and T4 had CKPW inclusion of 30% and no inclusion of maize. Animals were fed and watered ad libitum. Performance parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) different in the daily weight gain 9.04 g (T1) - 13.35 g (T2), daily water intake 50.30 (T3) – 64.51 ml (T1) and feed conversion ratio of 4.05 (T2) -5.48 (T3). The profitability was analyzed for feed cost/kg, feed cost/kg gain, total cost, revenue, gross margin, cost benefits ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and energy efficiency ratio. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in all parameters for economic yield. However, CKPW up to 10% inclusion and maize inclusion at 20% renders the production more economical. Inclusion of CKPW at 10% had a beneficial effect on performance of growing grasscutters. Optimal level of CKPW in the diets of growing grasscutters still needs to be ascertained.
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