Assessment of Dietary Forage Inclusion on Growth Performance, Fecal Microbes, and Body Temperature in Growing Pigs

Student: Toluwalase James Ibiyomi (Project, 2025)
Department of Animal Production
University of Ilorin, Kwara State

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of four locally available forages—Tridax procumbens, Calotropis procera, Sida acuta, and Acmella radicans—on the performance, fecal microbial population, and body temperature of growing pigs. Twenty pigs with an initial average weight of 23.6 kg were allotted to five treatment groups in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with four pigs per treatment. The treatments consisted of a control (basal diet only) and four forage-supplemented diets at a basal-to-forage ratio of 1:2. Data collected included growth performance indices (total feed intake, body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio), fecal microbial load (total heterotrophic count, fecal coliform count, and E. coli population), and skin and rectal temperatures. Results showed significant (p 

Keywords
performance fecal inclusion growth temperature acmella radicans microbial dietary forage
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