Food preferences of certain additives by the nile rat, arvicanthus niloticus des. using bi-choice tests under laboratory conditions

Abstract EN

The preference ratios by using the addition of groundnut oil 2% plus sugar 2% to wheat, sorghum, rice, crushed maize and cracked bean were 50.4, 56.6, 54.5, 50.8 and 63.6.

The total intake values per day of each food and the food supplemented with groundnut oil + sugar were 12.9, 14.5, 12.3, 11.8 and 6.6 g /100g body weight, respectively.

The counted preference ratios of wheat, sorghum, rice, grinded maize and crushed broad bean mixed with coriander plus sugar (2+2% ) were 50.4, 54.9, 53.3, 50.4 and 60.6.

.

The total intake values of each tested food with the supplemented food of coriander + sugar were 12.7, 14.2, 12.0, 11.7 and 6.6 g/ 100g body weight, respectively.

In this regard, the addition of anise 2% plus sugar 2% as supplementary item to wheat, sorghum, rice, crushed maize and crushed bean gave preference ratios of 50.4, 54.2, 52.5, 50.4 and 59.7, respectively.

However, total intake values of the tested food items with these foods mixed with anise plus sugar as food supplements were 13.1, 14.2, 12.0, 11.3 and 6.7 g/ 100g body wt.

, respectively.

Yeast + sugar (2% +2% ) surpassed other supplementary items attaining preference ratios by 50.7, 58.0, 56.3, 54.3 and 66.2 followed by 13.4, 15.0, 12.8, 12.7 and 7.1g/100g body wt.

with wheat, sorghum, rice, crushed maize and crushed bean, respectively