Chapter One                                                                                                                1

1.0       Introduction                                                                                                    1

1.1       Background to the Study                                                                               1

1.2       Statement of the Problem                                                                               2

1.3       Aim and Objectives                                                                                        3

1.4       Significance of the Study                                                                               3

Chapter Two: Literature Review                                                                                4

2.1       Snail and Snail Rearing                                                                                   4

2.2       Selection and Rearing of Snail                                                                       6          

2.3       Anatomy of Giant African Land Snail                                                           11

2.4       Nature of Growth of Giant African Land Snail (Archachatinamarginata)   12

2.5       Snail Health Management                                                                               15

2.6       Snail Feed and Feeding.                                                                                 16

2.7       Existing knowledge on cocoyam                                                                    17

2.8       Indigenous uses of cocoyam                                                                           18

Chapter Three: Materials and Methods                                                                      21

3.1       Study Area                                                                                                      21

3.2       Materials                                                                                                         21

3.3       Experimental Design                                                                                       21

3.4       Data Collection                                                                                               21

3.5       Statistical analysis                                                                                           22

Chapter Four: Results                                                                                                 23

Chapter five: Discussion                                                                                             32

Chapter six: Conclusion and recommendations                                                          33

References                                                                                                                  34

Snails are important as means of alleviating acute protein shortage in Nigeria livestock Industries. The present study aimed to study the impact of cocoyam leaf and snail feed on the growth of garden snail. The experiment was carried out in Animal House, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. Twelve (12) garden snails of average body weight 160.31g ± 0.38g were used for the study.  The snails were grouped into three- Group A, B and C. 5 snails in group A are T2, T4, T8, T10 and T12 were fed with cocoyam leaf for 15 days while 5 snails in group B are T1, T3, T5, T7 and T9 were fed with snail feed, and 2 snail T6 and T11 were starved for 15 days. The data collected on weight gain, shell length increment and shell width increment during the experiment were subjected to analysis. Results showed that there was a significant difference in the weight gain. The snail fed with cocoyam had a higher weight gain while the snail fed with snail feeds also had a higher weight gain. For better growth performance of snail in terms of weight gain, snail farmers should raise their snails in an intensive system of management and formulated diet should be used in feeding the snails alongside with natural feed such as leaves and fruits.

Keywords: Snail, Cocoyam, Feed, Growth Performance.