Evaluation of Pigeon Pea Seed Meal as a Protein Supplement for Growing Pigs in Benue State

This study evaluates pigeon pea seed meal as a partial protein supplement for growing pigs in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Pig production is an important economic activity in Benue State, but the high cost of conventional protein feeds including soybean meal significantly reduces profitability for smallholder farmers. Pigeon pea, widely grown in the state as a human food and soil fertility crop, produces seeds with approximately 22 percent crude protein that could substitute partially for soybean meal if its anti-nutritional factors are adequately managed through processing. This study tests five dietary treatments in a completely randomised design: soybean meal control diet and four diets with 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent replacement of soybean protein by cooked and sun-dried pigeon pea seed meal in a grower pig diet. Sixty grower pigs of Large White breed averaging 18 kilograms initial weight are randomly allocated to five groups of 12 pigs each. Feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, nitrogen retention, and haematological parameters are measured over 56 days. Findings reveal that 50 percent pigeon pea replacement maintains growth performance equivalent to the soybean control, with comparable nitrogen retention and haematological values. Higher replacement levels (75 and 100 percent) significantly reduce growth performance, attributed to residual tannin and trypsin inhibitor effects despite cooking. Feed cost per kilogram weight gain is reduced by 22 percent at 50 percent replacement. The study recommends 50 percent pigeon pea inclusion as the optimal substitution level for Benue State pig diets.

Keywords: pigeon pea, growing pigs, protein supplement, Benue State, soybean replacement.