EFFECT OF AUTOCLAVED CASTOR SEED MEAL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, BODY COMPOSITION AND HAEMATOLOGY OF Clarias gariepinus FINGELINGS.

Abstract

Eight weeks trial was conducted to study the effect of dietary inclusion of autoclaved castor seed meal on growth performance, body composition and haematology of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. 150 Clarias gariepinus fingerlings were divided randomly into 5 groups of ten fish/tank each to five treatments. The experimental design is a complete randomize design in which there were three replicate for each of the treatment. The experimental diet which were designated 0%, 10%,15%, 20%, and 25%, respectively were isonitrogenous (40% C.P) and isocaloric (2881 Kcal/kg). Fishmeal, soybean meal, and groundnut cake was used as control (diet 1) protein source. The result shows significant difference (p<0.05) among the treatments in respect to growth rate, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and specific growth rate. The result of the growth performance indicates that the final body weight, total weight gain, daily weight gain, standard growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the control group (CTRL) compared to CSM10, CSM15, CSM20, and CSM25. The total feed intake and the daily feed intake were significantly (p<0.05) higher in control compared to all other treatments, while the feed conversion ratio was significantly lower (p<0.05) in control than the remaining diet. Crude protein, and moisture of fish fed the control were significantly higher (p<0.05) than the fish fed the CSM10, CSM15, CSM20 and CSM 25, while for the Fat content, ASH and nitrogen free extract of the fish fed CSM25 was significantly higher than CSM20, CSM15, CSM10 and control respectively. The results of the haematological parameters showed that the packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb), Red Blood Cell, Mean Corpuscular Volume, Mean corpuscular haemoglobin, Mean corpuscular Haemoglobin concentration, Neutrophils values were significantly (P<0.05) higher in control compared to CSM10, CSM15, CSM20, and CSM25, but the parked cell volume, Red blood cell, and mean corpuscular volume were similar (p>0.05) for CSM15 and CSM20, VIII CSM20 and CSM25 and CSM15 and CSM20 respectively, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration of the fish shows similar effect (p>0.05) for CSM10, CSM15, CSM20 and CSM25 but was however significantly different (p<0.05) from the control, while in white blood cell and lymphocyte there were significant difference (p<0.05) in the CSM25 and the lowest in control respectively. Hence the inclusion of 10% castor seed meal may give a satisfactory performance if the seed is well treated and dehulled properly.