Assessment of Reproductive Performances and Feed Responses of African Giant Land Snail (Archachatina marginata) using Varied Percentages of Crude Protein
1S.O. Adedoyin, 2G.A.Lameed &2M.D. Tijani
1Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Benin, Nigeria
2Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Email: adedoyin.so.mnim@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This work aims at assessing the reproductive performances and feed responses of Archachatina marginata using varied percentages of crude protein. The research was carried out in four partitioned units of a rectangular cage of dimension 1.57m by 1.22m by 0.57m. The experiment was carried out in four units (treatments), ten snails were randomly selected for each treatment and stocked accordingly. The snails were fed for eight (8) weeks. Feed intake of the snails, eggs laid per week, the number that hatched, the time it took to hatch and the survived ones were recorded. Four compounded feed types were used with varied crude protein compositions which were 17%, 20%, 23% and 26% for treatments 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. The snails were fed two times daily. They were given fruits and vegetables in the morning (07:30am) and compounded feeds in the evening (05:30pm). The feed was made available to the animals within the range of 1 and 3% of their body weights. Left over collected was sun-dried and weighed. Weight of the snails, feed intake, egg diameter, egg length, egg weight and weight of the hatchlings were measured. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis were carried out in a Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD). Results showed that highest number of eggs was recorded in T3 (19), followed by T1 (8). The average incubation period for the eggs was 25.75 days.Percentage hatchability of the eggs was 57.1% and 44.4% for T1 and T3 respectively and the average weight of the hatchling at day old was 2.38g.The hatchlings began to take food after seven (7) days of hatching. One mortality was recorded throughout the period of the study and this was in T1. The highest feed-intake of the snails was found in T4 (3.336kg), while T2 recorded the least feed-intake. The mean for average feed intake for treatment 4 was the highest (T4= 8.3404±2.30857), followed by those of treatments 1 (T1= 2.1445±1.30551), 3 (T3= 1.9076±1.19973) and 2 (T2= 1.3528±0.75013). Analysis of variance of feed-intake is significant .000* (3 df, P<0.05). Duncan average feed intake per treatment per day indicated that treatments 1 and 3 have close values for average feed intake per
