Department of Animal Science, Bayero University, P.M.B. 3011, Kano State, Nigeria

Department of Animal Science, Bayero University, P.M.B. 3011, Kano State, Nigeria

Department of Animal Science, Kano University of Science and Technology P.M.B. 3045, Wudil, Kano State, Nigeria
GoatsSeminal ,Seminal ,Growth ,Cotton seed cake ,

The research was aimed at determining the effect of cotton seed cake (CSC) supplementation on growth performance and seminal characteristics of Red Sokoto bucks. The seminal characteristics measured were semen volume, semen color, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration, live and dead spermatozoa. The result of the study shows that the dry matter (DM) content was generally high (934.00 to 945.00 g kg-1 DM) in all the feeds. The ash, ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and gross energy values (GE) were all highest in T3. The crude protein (CP) content was highest in T4 (384.00 g kg-1 DM) and lowest in T1 (354.00 g kd-1 DM). The values for cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin were generally high in all the dietary treatments. T3 had the best record in terms for growth performance. Treatment 1 had the highest value for semen volume (ml), sperm concentration (x106), sperm motility (%) and semen colour. The result of the semen characteristics showed significant difference (P<0.05) in all parameters observed except for semen volume (P<0.05). The semen morphological characteristics showed significant difference (P<0.05) in all the parameters observed except for vent tail and coil tail. The study reveals that there was no deleterious effect on seminal characteristics at 10% level of inclusion. Significant effect was observed on seminal characteristics at 30% inclusion level.

4 , 4 , 2014