Abstract
The study was conducted to investigate the growth performance of West African dwarf (WAD) goats under different housing system. Sixteen WAD goats of age 6-8 months old were raised under four different housing systems (concrete -T1, mud -T2, Bamboo -T3 and Zinc -T4). Each treatment group had four goats with a goat being a replicate. The animals were randomly assigned to any of the four housing patterns and were fed with the same mixed forages (Panicum maximum, Centrosema pubescens and Aspilia africana) of 12kg to each group daily for 56 days. Fresh water was given to the animals daily in plastic bowls. The leftover forages were recorded for each treatment group and this was used to calculate their feed conversion ratio. Their weekly body weight were also recorded and used to determine their total and daily weight gain. Results obtained showed that T2 (mud house) produced daily weight gain of (24.46g) which differed significantly (P<0.05) from T3 (15.31g) but T1 and T4 values were statistically similar (P>0.05) in their daily weight gain (13.39kg and 12.63kg respectively). The least weight gain was observed in T4 (12.68g). Total weight gain in T2 (1.65) differed significantly (P<0.05) from T3 (0.88), T1 (0.75), T4 (0.71), but T1 and T4 were similar (P>0.05). Feed conversion ratio differed significantly (P<0.05) among the treatment groups with T2 having appreciable value of 31.90 which was statistically different (P>0.05) from other treatment groups, and T4 (71.76) had the poorest feed conversion ratio. The haematological parameters showed significant differences (P<0.05) in pack cell volume (PCV)), haemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC), Lymphocytes and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), while similarities existed in other parameters among the treatment groups. T3 had the highest haemoglobin concentration (7.65) that differed significantly (P<0.05) with T1 (6.14), and there was similarity between T2 (6.80) and T4 (7.30). White blood cell values were similar (P>0.05) between T1 (2.80), T2 (2.67), but, T3 (2.20) differed significantly (P<0.05) from T4 (1.77). Moreover, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in lymphocyte values, as well as in the total protein values among the treatment groups. The performance of WAD goats in the four intensive housing systems showed that mud house was more ideal for their optimal performance and is therefore recommended as an ideal housing system for use in intensive goat farming.