Assessing effects of substituting dietary fish meal with boiled donkey and cow blood meal on growth performance and digestive enzyme activities of Clarias gariepinus juvenile

This study investigated the effects of cow blood meal (CBM) and donkey blood meal (DBM) supplemented diets on growth and digestive enzymes activity in juvenile Clarias gariepinus. Boiled blood meals (CBM and DBM) were used to substitute fishmeal at 7%, 17%, 25%, and 33% percentage inclusion levels, respectively. A total of 450 juvenile C. gariepinus (8.48 ± 0.09 g) were randomized to nine experimental diets coded as CBD1(7%), CBD2(17%), CBD3(25%), CBD4(33%), DBD1(7%), DBD2(17%), DBD3(25%), DBD4(33%), indicating Cow Blood Diet (CBD) and Donkey Blood Diet (DBD) respectively and CT (control). Analysis from this study reveals that the protein and energy contents of boiled DBM significantly superseded that of boiled CBM. Comparative assessment based on growth biometrics of fish showed that the fish cohort fed CBD1 (7%) performed best. This was followed by the group fed DBD1 (7%) and then the control. Diets formulated with CBM and DBM, respectively, having a percentage inclusion greater than 7% undermined the growth of Clarias gariepinus juvenile without any effect on digestive enzyme secretion.