Comparison of the Physico-Chemical and Cost Analysis of Termite Mound Produced and Commercial Salt Licks

Abstract

The potentials of the Nigerian livestock industry to satisfy domestic demands and for export is being hampered
by the importation of critical livestock inputs, especially salt blocks at huge foreign exchange costs. A
preliminary study had demonstrated the potentials of salt lick produced with local ingredients as binding agent
as a high level source of minerals. The present study compared the physico-chemical properties and cost
analysis of commercial salt lick and salt licks produced using 50% termite mound as binding agent. The
treatments were: T1 (commercial salt lick); T2 (termite mound, cement, bone meal and common salt); T3
(termite mound, cement, eggshell and common salt); and T4 (termite mound, cement, bone meal, eggshell and
common salt) replicated three times as a completely randomized experiment conducted at the Ruminants’
Unit, Teaching and Research Farm, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. The local ingredients were mixed with
water in a cold process and each homogenous mixture was poured into 5 kg capacity aluminum container
mound and pressed manually using hand to form blocks. The blocks were removed carefully and dried for one
week under shade, and another week in the sun until they were hard. The results showed significant differences
in the parameters measured. T1 showed good hardness throughout while T2, T3 and T4 were firm and
compact like T1 at 2 weeks after de-moulding. The salt licks produced had significantly different nutrient
contents from the commercial salt lick. The Ca, Mg, P and Cr contents were higher in the produced salt licks
than the commercial salt lick and T2 had the highest Ca, P and Cr (98.02±0.23, 155.93±1.82 and 0.28±0.10
mg 100 ml-1 respectively) while T3 contained the highest Mg (0.77±0.10 mg 100 ml-1). The Na content in T1
(15.53±0.06 mg 100 ml-1) was significantly higher than in T2, T3, and T4 which had similar values. T2 was
produced at ₦248.55 per block but this highest production cost was 12.4% of the cost of T1 block. Thus,
mineral salt licks produced with termite mounds are cheaper than commercial licks, affordable, nutritious, and
environment-friendly for ruminants.