Performance and digestibility of weaner rabbits fed graded levels of soybean cheese waste/maize offal diet and brachiaria grass hay

Weaner crossbred rabbits were allocated to five treatment groups in a completely randomized design. The treatments consisted of 100, 75, 50 and 25% levels of soybean cheese waste/maize offal diet (SBW).100% rabbit meal served as control. Each rabbit received chopped Bracharia decumbens hay ad libitum. Water was offered ad libitum. Concentrate and hay were offered in separate feeders. Rabbits onthe control diet had significantly higher feed intake compared with SBW treatments. Hay intake was significantly lower in 100 and 75% level treatments than 50 and 25% SBW treatments. Weight gain was significantly lower for 25% level with daily gains ranging between -2.08 g for 25% and 6.70 g for the control. Feed conversion efficiency was significantly lower for 25% level compared with other treatments. Survival rate of rabbits ranged between 40 and 60% for the experimental treatments. Dry matter, ash, ether extract, crude protein and nitrogen free extractives intake decreased with decrease in the level of concentrate. Crude fibre intake was similar for the control, 100, 75 and 50% SBW treatments but significantly lower for 25% SBW treatment. Dry matter, ether extract and nitrogen free extractives digestibility were similar for the control, 75 and 25% SBW treatments, and significantly higher than 100 and 50% SBW treatments. Crude protein digestibility and retention were similar for all the groups. Soybean cheese waste/maize offal diet offered at 50% along with bracharia hay compared favorably with the standard rabbit meal in terms of growth and digestibility of nutrients by weaner rabbits. Level of SBW concentrate offered to rabbits should however, not be below 50% when fed with bracharia ha

Evaluation of concentrate, grass and legume combinations on performance and nutrient digestibility of grower rabbits under tropical conditions

Thirty-five (35) grower crossbred rabbits were randomly allocated to seven combinations of concentrate, grass and legume in proportions of 50 g:60 g:40 g in a completely randomized design. Thetreatments were: (1) rabbit meal, Rhodes grass and groundnut haulms (RRG), (2) rabbit meal, Rhodes grass and sweet potato vines (RRP), (3) rabbit meal, Rhodes grass and soybean forage (RRS), (4)Soybean cheese waste meal, Rhodes grass and groundnut haulms (SRG), (5) Soybean cheese waste meal, Rhodes grass and sweet potato vines (SRP), (6) Soybean cheese waste meal, Rhodes grass andsoybean forage (SRS) and (7) rabbit meal and Rhodes grass (RR) constituted the control. The control consisted 100 g rabbit meal and 100 g Rhodes grass, which was the normal feeding regime. Diet had asignificant effect (P0.05) differences in daily weight gain forall the treatments. Feed cost/kg gain was, however, higher for rabbits fed RRP combination compared with the other treatments. Dry matter digestibility was higher (

Performance of growing rabbits fed graded levels of sugarcane peel diets

Twenty five growing rabbits of mixed breeds and average weight of 894g were used in a seven week feeding trial. Five experimental diets were formulated in which sugarcane peels (SCP) was included at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% levels to replace maize offal. The rabbits were balanced for weight and allotted to the treatments (n=5 rabbits/treatment) in a completely randomized design. Water was supplied ad libitum. Results obtained showed that final live weight was not significantly affected by sugarcane peel level. Feed intake decreased as the level of sugarcane peels increased in the diets. Dry matter intake per body weight or metabolic weight was similar for all the sugarcane peel levels. At 30% inclusion, sugarcane peels gave weight gain that was comparable to the control, 10% and 20% SCP. Weight gain decreased (P<0.05) on 40% diets compared to 10% SCP. There was no significant effect of sugarcane peels on metabolic body weight and feed efficiency. The trend showed that the cost of feed per kilogram live weight gain was linearly reduced as the level of sugarcane peel increased. Percent savings of 29.67 to 46.30 was obtained with sugarcane peel inclusion in the diet. Inclusion of sugarcane peels at 30% level improved (P<0.05) thigh and head percentage, while the meat composition (crude protein, ether extract, moisture and ash) were not significantly affected by the inclusion level. Based on savings per kilogram gain of ₦125.9 (33.06%) with comparable weight gain on 30% SCP diet compared with the control, it was concluded that sugarcane peels inclusion at 30% of the diet was adequate for growing rabbits without compromising performance, carcass characteristics and composition.Keywords: Performance, sugarcane peels, carcass characteristics, meat composition, rabbit

Energy partitioning for growth by rabbits fed groundnut and stylo santhes forages supplemented with concentrate

Forty eight crossbred (California X New Zealand White) rabbits were used to evaluate energy partitioning of rabbits fed forages supplemented with concentrate. The rabbits were randomly allocated to three treatments consisting of sole Stylosanthes hamata (stylo),sole Arachis hypogea (groundnut) haulms and 50:50 mixture of both forages (mixed), and four class groups: weaners, 6-8 weeks old (0.79kg), growers, 11-12 weeks old (1.15kg), pubertal, 15-16 weeks old (1.36kg) and adult, >16 weeks old (1.55kg) in a completely randomized design (3 x 4 factorial experiment). The rabbits were individually housed and offered 150g forage and 50g concentrate diet in separate feeders at 08.00hr. Feeding sole or mixed forages did not significantly affect daily gain or body composition of rabbits. DE intake, DE retention as protein, fat and growth, DE requirement for maintenance, protein synthesis, fat synthesis and for growth were similar for sole and mixed forages. Efficiency of utilization of DE for growth was significantly higher for mixed forage than sole stylo and ranged between 0.41-0.43. DE intake was similar for all classes of rabbits. Weaners had significantly higher retained energy as protein, fat and growth, DE requirement for protein and fat synthesis and for growth and efficiency of DE utilization for growth than growing, pubertal and adult rabbits. Efficiency of DE utilization for growth ranged between 0.39-0.47. Retained energy as protein, fat and for growth were similar for weaner and grower rabbits on mixed forage but higher than for pubertal and adult rabbits. For sole stylo, weaner rabbits retained more energy as protein, fat and growth than grower, pubertal and adult rabbits while for sole groundnut haulms, weaner and pubertal rabbits retained more energy as protein, fat and growth than grower and adult rabbits. DE utilization was better for mixed than stylo. It is concluded that feeding a mixture of groundnut and stylo forages slightly increased gain and improved efficiency of DE utilization resulting in better performance of the  abbits.Keywords: concentrate, energy, forages, groundnut, partitioning, rabbit, Stylosanthes

Effect of palm oil supplementation on carcass yield and fatty acid composition of growing rabbits.

A 12 week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of palm oil (PO) supplementation at 0% (control), 3% or 5% levels on carcass yields and fatty acid composition of organs of growing rabbits. Results obtained showed that palm oil supplementation did not significantly affect (P> 0.05) carcass and organ yields. Percent analysis however showed that in the heart, myristic acid was highest in the control diet (78.58%), lauric acid in 3% PO (41.56%) and stearic acid in 5% PO (84.43%) groups. In the kidney, there was increased level of palmitic (1.30 - 57.06%) but decreased levels of myristic (43.41 - 0.51%) and oleic acids (9.26 - 8.08%). There were detectable levels of caprylic, linoleic and arachidonic acids in rabbits fed PO diets compared to none in the control group. On the other hand, there were detectable levels of stearic and lauric acids in the control group but none in the PO groups. In the liver, only laurie, stearic and myristic acids were detected, with the latter not detected in the liver of control group. Three rabbits on the control diet died as a result of speticaemia. It was concluded from this study that PO seemed to affect organ fatty acid composition but not on weight of organs. The effect on fatty acid composition was however, not consistent.Keywords: Rabbit, palm oil, carcass, organs, fatty acid

Influence of breed and environmental factors on litter parameters of rabbits raised in a semi-humid environment

The influence of breed and environmental factors such as season, temperature, relative humidity, sunshine hours and wind speed on litter parameters of rabbits raised in a semi-humid environment was investigated using two hundred and twenty four (224) litter records collected between 1991 and 1997. New Zealand White does kindled significantly (P<0.05) larger and heavier litter at birth than the other breeds. Crossbred does produced kits with significantly higher preweaning daily gain and lower neonatal mortality compared with the purebred does. Chinchilla and Crossbred does raised kits with significantly (P<0.05) heavier weaning weights than New Zealand White and Californian does. There was a non-significant effect of season on litter site at birth, kits alive at birth and neonatal mortality. Does that kindled in the cool-wet season had significantly (P<0.05) higher litter birth weight and average kit birth weight compared with does that kindled in the cold-dry and hot-dry seasons. Kits kindled in the hot-dry season had significantly higher preweaning litter daily gain and lower preweaning mortality than those kindled in the other seasons. Does that kindled in the hot-dry and cool-wet seasons weaned more kits than those that kindled in the cold-dry season. There was a significant (P<0.05) negative correlation between maximum temperature and litter size alive at birth, litter birth weight, litter weaning weight, average weaning weight and litter size at weaning. Rainfall and relative humidity had significant positive correlation with average birth weight, while, wind speed was positively correlated with average weaning weight. This study indicates that the best season for rabbit breeding in the semi-humid environment is the hot-dry (February-May) season. Maximum temperature was also observed to be more critical to rabbit reproduction as it influenced negatively more litter parameters than other environmental factors studied.Keywords: Environment, Season, Litter parameters, Rabbits

Effect of Protein Flushing on Reproductive Performance of Multiparous Does

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Effect of varying levels of energy on the performance, haematological and physiological parameters of does

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of varying levels of energy on the performance, haematological and physiological parameters of mated does. Sixteen does were allocated to 4 dietary treatments. Diets 1, 2, 3 and 4 had metabolizable energy levels of 2400kcal/kg, 2500kcal/kg, 2600kcal/kg and 2700kcal/kg respectively, with diet 1 serving as a control diet. Growth performance parameters (body weight gain, feed intake and feed: gain ratio) were measured weekly while haematological (packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) and total protein (TP) of the does) and blood serum (Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)) parameters were measured at 56 days of age. Increase of dietary energy above recommended levels had varied effects on the does. It generally led to decreased (p<0.05) body weight gain, feed intake, and increased (p>0.05) aspartate amino-transferase, packed cell volume, haemoglobin and total protein values of the does. No significant difference was detected in the Aspartate Aminotransferase. However, blood parameters largely remained within the physiological range. The result obtained in this study suggests that energy level of 2400kcal/kg, ME is adequate for the growth and maintenance of the health of does.Keywords: Energy levels,Performance,haematology,serum biochemistry, physiology,rabbit