Performance Assessment of African Giant Land Snail (Archachatinamarginata) Fed Formulated Concentrate Diet and Municipal Organic Waste

This study was conducted to assess the performance of African giant land snail (Archachatina marginata) fed formulated concentrate diet (FCD) and municipal organic waste (MOW). Two hundred and twenty (220) hatchlings were used. The snails were divided into five (5) treatments groups and replicated four (4) times. Each replicate contains eleven (11) snails giving a total of 44 snails per treatment group. Five (5) experimental diets were formulated: T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 which contain T1: 100% formulated concentrate diet (FCD), T2: 75% FCD: 25% municipal organic waste(MOW), T3: 50% FCD: 50% MOW, T4: 25% FCD: 75% MOWand T5: 100% (MOW) respectively. Each treatment group was given one of the five diets. Daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed intake and carcass yield weredetermined. Average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio was in the decreasing order of T3larger thanT1larger than T2larger than T4larger than T5. T5 was significantly (Pless than0.05) higher in daily feed intake than other treatment groups. Based on the observation in term of daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of 50% municipal organic waste inclusion level on snail performance, it is however, recommended that 50% (FCD):50% (MOW) will improve snail performance.