Productive performance and cost benefits of feeding wistar albino rats with processed tropical sickle pod (Senna obtusifolia) leaf meal-based diets

A feeding trial was conducted for 28 d to evaluate the effects of feeding albino rats with processed Senna obtusifolia leaf meal (SOLM) based diets. Five experimental diets were compounded to contain 0% and 20% each of the sun-dried, boiled, fresh fermented, boiled fermented SOLM-based diets designated as T(1), T(2), T(3), T(4), and T(5,) respectively. A total of 90 young albino rats with initial weight of 13.52–14.48 g were randomly allocated to the dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with three replicates of six rats each. The result of the productive performance was not significantly (P > 0.05) different, except feed intake, which indicated significant (P < 0.05) variation. The highest total feed intake (365.40 g) was recorded in albino rats fed the control diet (0% SOLM) and 20% boiled and fermented SOLM (334.32 g). The overall weight gain among the albino rats fed the processed SOLM-based diets were not significantly (P > 0.05) different. Results on cost benefits revealed a reduction in feed cost per kilogram, cost of feed intake, and feed cost per kilogram body weight gain recorded in SOLM-based diets (T(2)–T(5)). Feed cost per kilogram was observed to reduce by 21.86, 20.79, 21.80, and 18.79 in T(2)–T(5), respectively. It was concluded that the processed SOLM-based diets had enhanced the productive performance of albino rats. However, albino rats fed the boiled and fermented SOLM-based diet indicated better feed intake compared with the other groups of rats fed the other processed SOLM-based diets. On economic grounds, the use of processed SOLM as a feed ingredient for albino rats is cost effective because of the reduction in feed cost per kilogram of the SOLM-based diets and feed cost per kilogram body weight gain observed in albino rats fed SOLM-based diets and is, therefore, recommended for feeding albino rats.