The effect of replacing maize fraction of the diet of growing snails partially or wholly with bread waste (BW) on performance characteristics and cost benefits was studied for 12 weeks. A total of 120 growing snails (Archachatina marginata) of mean weight 83.67 ± 3.5g of about 3 months of age were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments, BW1, BW2, BW3 and BW4 in which maize fraction of the diet was replaced at 0, 50, 75 and 100% with BW respectively, in a completely randomized design replicated 3 times. The parameters measured were feed intake, weight gain, shell length, width and thickness. Feed conversion ratio and cost/weight gain were calculated. The results showed that significant differences were not observed in the mean total feed intake, weight gain and shell increment (P>0.05). The results also revealed that dietary treatments had no significant influence on the dressing percentage (P>0.05) which varied between 41.25 and 41.28%. The total feed cost and cost per weight reduced as the level of BW in the diet increased from 0 to 100%. The highest cost/ weight gain (CW) of N223.2 was recorded in diet containing 0% BW while the lowest CW was recorded in diet containing 100%BW. Based on the present results maize fraction of snail’s diet could be replaced with bread waste up to 100% at reduced cost without any adverse effect on performance of growing snails.
