Effects of Exogenous Fibrolytic Enzymes on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Haematological and Serum Biochemical Indices, and Manure Output of Kano Brown Bucks
Abstract
Background: Exogenous enzymes are increasingly used in ruminant nutrition to improve feed utilization and reduce nutrient losses. This study evaluated the the effects of different exogenous enzyme inclusions on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, haematological and serum biochemical indices, and manure production in Kano Brown bucks. Twelve Kano Brown bucks (10 ± 0.5 kg initial body weight) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design for 12 weeks: a control diet without enzyme (T1), Bovizyme® at 0.2% (T2), Betafin® at 0.2% (T3), and Astrax® at 0.05% (T4). Measurements included feed intake, live weight changes, nutrient intake and digestibility, blood parameters, manure output and nutrient excretion. Results: Exogenous enzyme inclusion had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on feed intake, live weight changes, total weight gain, or average daily gain, although higher numerical values were observed in bucks fed Bovizyme® and Betafin®. Nutrient digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, and nitrogen-free extract were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in bucks fed Bovizyme® (79%, 84.68%, 80.50%, 78.75%, and 82%, respectively) compared with the other treatments. Haematological and serum biochemical indices differed significantly (P < 0.05) across treatment groups but remained within normal physiological ranges. Exogenous enzyme supplementation reduced manure output and nutrient excretion, with the control group recorded the highest manure production (0.23 kg/day). Conclusions: Dietary supplementation with exogenous enzymes improved nutrient digestibility, maintained normal physiological health status, and reduced nutrient losses in Kano Brown bucks without adversely affecting growth performance. The use of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, particularly Bovizyme® and Betafin®, may therefore enhance feed efficiency and contribute to more environmentally sustainable goat production systems.
Keywords
Citation Information
@article{rsibrahim2026,
title={Effects of Exogenous Fibrolytic Enzymes on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Haematological and Serum Biochemical Indices, and Manure Output of Kano Brown Bucks},
author={R. S. Ibrahim and M. W. Abbas and A. Nasiru},
journal={Research Square},
year={2026},
doi={https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8833196/v1}
}
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