Abstract

The challenge in snails rearing involved knowing how to formulate the feed that will meet the nutritional requirements of snails,most importantly in the dry season when almost all the vegetation are dried up. So, the aimed of the study is to formulate snail’s feed using Quail Droppings Meal (QDM) and to ascertain how it can supplement the leaves which are commonly used in feeding snails. Four experimental feeds I -V with QDM of different ratios as source source of protein were formulated and chemical composition of the snails haemolymph were determined using standard procedures. Snails that were given feed V, consumed the highest amount of feed with high weight and width while the snails that were given feed I, has the highest Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and shell length. Snail haemolymph was analysed for its proximate which revealed that crude protein and ash contents value were low in snails treated with feed I and was highest in snails with feed V. Also, the mineral contents of snails hemolymph were analyzed for which recorded that snails treated with feed V had the highest value of phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and sodium. The result of the study based on the result of analysis indicated that the formulated feeds with QDM were well consumed by A. marginata which also increased their growth performance, more than the control feed which did not contain QDM.