Nutritional Value of Dried Rumen Digesta from Cattle, Sheep and Goat: A case of Bolgatanga Abattoir, Ghana

Abstract

Purpose: The work evaluated the nutritive value of dried rumen digesta (DRD) from cattle (CRD), sheep (SRD) and goat (GRD) in Bolgatanga Abattoir, Ghana.Methodology: Rumen digesta (RD) was collected from twenty-seven (27)) animals, nine each from cattle, sheep and goat at the Bolgatanga Municipal Abattoir and sundried for 4 days. Proximate analysis, cell wall component and metabolizable energy were estimated after which the data was subjected to analysis of variance for statistical difference at 0.05% level.Findings: Result obtained showed significant differences (P< 0.05) in proximate compositions. Goat Rumen Digesta (GRD) had highest organic matter (90.81%), Crude protein (12.17%) and metabolizable energy (ME) (374.24 Kca/100g) compared to the other experimental digesta from cattle. The Neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and cellulose were not significantly different across the rumen digesta obtained from the species of animals.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The values for organic matter and crude compositions obtained from the Sun-dried rumen digesta from cattle, sheep and goat indicated the ability of rumen digesta to provide the nutrients particularly protein required by animals for normal physiological activities. Farmers can process the digesta and include it in livestock feeds.