Effect of Varying Rates of Ground Groundnut Shell on Fermentation Characteristic and Nutritive Value of Silage Made from Elephant Grass (pennisetum Purpureum)

ABSTRACTThe experiment was conducted at the Department of Animal Science Laboratory Bayero University Kano. The objective was to determine the effect of inclusion of varying rates of ground groundnut shell on fermentation characteristic and nutritive value of silage made from elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum). The experimental design was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), made up of 5 treatments represented by levels of inclusion (0, 5, 10, 15, 20% w/w), of ground groundnut shell replicated 3 times. The samples (material) for the experiment was obtained from stands of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), in the Pasture Museum of the Livestock Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture BUK. Elephant grass was harvested at the late vegetative stage at 10cm stubble height. The harvested grass was chopped into 1-2cm length then mixed with the groundnut shell in the correct proportions, tucked into laboratory silos (bottles). the material in bottles were compressed to remove oxygen with bottles sealed tightly and left for a fermentation period of 21 days. Temperature, pH, and aroma scores of silages indicated that satisfactory silage had been produced. The results of proximate, fiber and other nutritive value characteristics indicate that inclusion of ground groundnut shell slightly enhanced the crude protein content of the silage. The soluble carbohydrate content was also enhanced significantly (P