Forty-two (42) young male and female albino rats () were used in a preliminary study to assess the potential of non-conventional local materials, white star apple ( ) 'udara' seeds and physic nut ( ) as feed ingredients for livestock. 'Udara' seed or physic nut meal were added to 14% crude protein basal corn soya bean diets at the rates of 0,5,10, or 15 percent to replace some of the dietary maize and soya bean. All measured parameters: (average daily weight gain (ADG), feed/gain ratio, total feed intake and average daily fed intake) differed between rats and levels of treatment. The rats fed control diets (0% 'udara' seed or physic nut) and those fed diets containing 10 and 15% levels of 'udara' and 5, 10 and 15% levels of physic nut had negative ADG values. Feed/gain ratio of the rats on control diets (9.92) was similar to that of rats fed 5% udara, but was significantly (P < 0.05) superior to those of rats fed diets containing 10 and 15% of physic nut. Total feed and average daily intakes followed the same pattern. The rats fed control diets consumed significantly (P < 0.05) more feed than those rats fed diets containing 10 or 15% "udara", or 5,10, 15% levels of physic nut. However, rats fed diets containing the 5% 'udara' seeds had similar (P > 0.05) total feed and ADF with the rats on control diets. The rats fed diet containing 15% physic nut, had the least total feed and average daily feed intakes. The rats fed diet containing 15% physic nut, had the least total feed and average daily feed intakes. The results revealed that 'udara' seed could be incorporated into the diets of rats up to 5% level without deleterious effects while physic nut even at (5%) level could not be tolerated by the rats. The study points to the possibility of utilizing abundantly available and cheap 'udara' seeds in the diet of rats, a strategy that possesses the potential to reduce the high cost of livestock diets.:Albino Rats, White StarApple, Physic Nut,Average Daily Weight Gain, Feed/Gain Ratio.Generally feeds and feeding have been shown to account for 55-85% of the total cost of commercial livestock production (Madubuike, 1988). In the present biting global inflation, the livestock producer appears most hit in terms of scarcity and high cost of feed (Babatunde , 1975, Madubuike 1994, Madubuike ., 2003.

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Eighty-four Anak broilers were used to study the effect of quantitative replacement of toasted soybean meal (TSBM) with toasted African yam bean (TAYB) meal in broiler starter diet. The experimental design was completely randomized design (CRD). There were four treatments each replicated three times with seven broilers per replicate. The inclusion levels of toasted African yam bean meal in diets were 0, 25, 50 and 75% in treatments I, II, III, and IV respectively. The parameters measured were final live weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and cost/kg feed. Results showed that the starter broilers fed treatment IV diet had significantly (P<0.05) lower final live weight (592g) than those fed treatments III (631.66g), II (656g) and I (670g) diets. Daily weight gain followed the same trend as in final live weight. The feed intake of treatments IV (1241.66g) and III (1235.00g) diets were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of treatments I (1222.66g) and II (1225.33g) diets. Starter broilers fed treatment IV diet had significantly (P<0.05) higher feed conversion ratio (2.10) than those fed treatment III having (1.95) which was also significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of treatments II (1.87) and I (1.28). Finally, parameters evaluated showed no significant different (P>0.05) between starter broilers fed treatment I and treatment II. From the result, one can conclude that 25% AYB (treatment II) compared favourably with the control diets 0% AYB in starter broiler diets and is hereby recommended as optimal for quantitative replacement of soybean in broiler starter diet.

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A total of 324 local pullet chicks (1- 8 weeks) were used for the research project to evaluate the feeding value of raw and boiled pigeon pea seed meal (PSM) on their growth performance. Nine iso-caloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated, with raw and boiled pigeon pea seed meal at inclusion levels of 0%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%, respectively. There were 36 chicks per treatment replicated into 3 at 12 chicks per replicate. There were significant interactions between form and PSM levels on the final live weight, daily feed intake and daily protein intake. Final live weight of pullets fed both raw and boiled PSM followed the same trend, pullets fed control (0%) and 15% raw PSM 128.10 and 132.33g respectively performed better than the rest of the treatment levels but statistically similar at all levels. Daily feed intake and daily protein intake showed significant interaction among the treatments. Pullets fed control (8.95g) and raw diets (8.79g) consumed more feed than pullets fed boiled PSM II (105.05g), III (117.77g) IV (91.27g) and V (112.80g) diets. Daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio had no significant (P>0.05) interaction between form and treatment groups for the pullets. 30% PSM raw or boiled can be fed to local pullet chicks without any deleterious effect on the growth performance.