Dietary effects of substituting maize for yellow cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) as energy source for weaner pigs

Due to consistent increases in the prices of conventional feeds, researchers have started looking for alternative sources of feeds. The research was conducted to investigate the dietary effect of substituting maize for cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) as energy source for weaner pigs. The experiment was conducted at the Swine Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The cocoyam was collected and processed by sun-drying to form a cocoyam corn meal (CCM). A total of 16 weaner pigs of large white breeds were used for the study. The pigs were divided into 4 groups based on average initial body weights (20-25 kg) and each group of weaner pigs were respectively allotted to each of the four treatment diets using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Each treatment group contained two replicates of four pigs, two males and two females). These pigs were fed twice daily and water supplied ad-libitium. Four diets were formulated to contain 0, 20, 40 and 60% of CCM. Data were collected on growth performance and blood profile. Result revealed that there was significant (p<0.05) differences in all the growth performance parameters measured. No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed on all blood profile parameters measured except the albumin and creatinine. The albumin and creatinine values ranged from 2.63-3.52 g/dl and 0.90- 1.50 mg/dl respectively. It was concluded that weaner pigs fed 20% CCM based diet has significant effect on the growth performance of pigs. This implies that CCM at 20% showed more effect on the growth performance of pigs compared to other levels of diet. It was therefore recommended that cocoyam corn meal should be encouraged in the feeding of pigs to reduce over dependence of maize feeds by our farmers which has led to the high cost of raising monogastric specifically pigs thereby discouraging farmers from investing in the swine business.