Growth, reproduction, milk quality, blood profile and carcass characteristics of pigs fed diets containing graded levels of moringa oleifera leaf meal

Abstract

The study which lasted for thirteen months was undertaken to evaluate Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) as feed ingredient on the growth, reproduction, milk quality, blood indices and carcass characteristics of pigs. The specific objectives were to determine the impact of Moringa oleifera leaf meal fed at varying levels (0%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, and 12%) on the growth rate, reproductive performance, milk quality, haematological and biochemical indices and carcass characteristics of pigs. The study was carried out at the Piggery Section of the Department of Animal Science Education, University of Education, Winneba, Mampong-Ashanti Campus, Ghana from 5th April, 2014 to 17th April, 2015. A total of twenty four (24) large white weaner pigs comprising twenty females and four males which were 10-11 weeks of age and an average body weight of 11 kg were used for the experiment. The females were randomly grouped into five treatments with each animal constituting a replicate in a randomized complete design and each treatment had four replicates (animals). The four young boars were used to cross the gilts when they were on heat. The control diet contained no moringa leaf meal (0%), while Diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contained moringa leaf meal at the rate of 5, 7.5, 10 and 12%, respectively. Data collected were subjected to the analysis of variance procedure of Statistical Analysis Systems (SAS 2010). The results showed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in initial body weight, final body weight, total weight gain and daily growth rate among treatment means. However, daily feed intake, total feed intake and feed conversion efficiency showed significant (P<0.05) difference among treatments with feed conversion efficiency means being 0.25, 0.25, 0.26, 0.24 and 0.23, for 0, 5, 7.5, 10 and 12% MOLM respectively. The biochemistry blood parameters, cholesterol and albumen were significantly (P<0.05) different among dietary treatments but total protein and globulin were not significantly (P˃0.05) different among dietary treatments with cholesterol means being 175.05, 124.95, 132.65, 111.50 and 144.20 (ml/L) for 0, 5, 7.5, 10 and 12% MOLM respectively. Red