Response of sundried mango seed kernel meal on growth performance of East African land snail (Achatina fulica)Response of sundried mango seed kernel meal on growth performance of East African land snail (Achatina fulica)

Fifty-six (56) days feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the response of feeding sundried mango seed kernel on the growth performance of Achatina fulica snails. The mango seeds kernel used as test ingredient was collected, cracked, sundried for two weeks and after which it was milled to obtain mango seed kernel meal. The mango seed kernel meal was used to formulate four experimental diets that meet the nutrient requirements of snails included at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% respectively; designated Diet 1, Diet 2, Diet 3 and Diet 4. Diet 1 served as the control. One hundred and twenty (120) Achatina fulica snails of similar sizes were assigned to 4 dietary treatments and replicated 3 times in a completely randomized design (CRD) experiment. Each dietary treatment consisted of thirty (30) snails per treatment with ten (10) snails per replicate. Proximate composition of the mango seed kernel meal and the experimental diets were conducted to determine the nutrient contents of the mango seed kernel meal and that of the experimental diet. Data were collected on growth performance parameters. The data collected were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results showed that significant reduction (P