Alternative feeds for West African dwarf rams: a cost-benefit relationship and their long-term effect

The increasing cost of conventional livestock feed and forage scarcity in tropical regions necessitate the exploration of alternative feed resources to enhance sheep production. This study evaluates the effects of mango leaves, neem seed cake, Napier grass, and concentrate on growth performance, carcass traits, non-carcass components, and meat quality in West African Dwarf rams. The study was conducted at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria, using 40 rams randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: Diet A (Napier grass + concentrate), Diet B (mango leaves + Napier grass + concentrate), Diet C (neem seed cake + Napier grass + concentrate), and Diet D (mango leaves + neem seed cake + Napier grass + concentrate). Growth performance indicators, carcass characteristics, organ weights, and meat quality parameters were assessed. Results showed that Diet B promoted the highest body weight gain (16.3 kg) and water-holding capacity (76.2 %), while Diet D resulted in the highest liver (2.50 %) and kidney (1.42 %) weights, suggesting a strong influence on organ development. Diet C showed lower values across several parameters, indicating potential limitations. Diets rich in protein and energy contributed to superior growth and carcass traits, underscoring the im-portance of optimized feed formulations. These findings suggest that incorporating alternative feed resources into sheep diets can enhance production efficiency while reducing reliance on expensive conventional feeds. This study provides insights into sustainable feeding strategies that could support livestock productivity in resource-limited environments.