Nutritional assessment of Gmelina arborea leaf meal on productive performance and cost/benefit evaluation of growing rabbits
Keywords:
medicinal plants, alternative feedstuff, growth performance, carcass indices, rabbitsAbstract
A 49-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of Gmelina arborea leaf meal (GALM)
on the productive performance and cost/benefit ratio of 48 growing rabbits. The animals were randomly divided into four experimental groups of twelve animals each, with four rabbits constituting
a replicate. Four experimental diets designated as T1
, T2
, T3
and T4
were formulated to contain 0%,
10%, 20% and 30% GALM, respectively and fed to the animals in a Completely Randomized Design
(CRD). Result on proximate analysis of the GALM revealed 19.35% CP, 17.57% CF and 89.56% DM.
Similarly, proximate results of the experimental diets showed a DM, CP and CF range of 90.95–93.29,
18.09–18.79 and 16.23–16.86 respectively. Average daily weight gain (ADWG) differed (P < 0.05)
with T4 having the highest value of 24.99 g as against 12.16, 16.32 and 21.30 g for T1
, T2
and T3, respectively. Similarly rabbits on diet T4
had the highest average daily feed intake (ADFI) of 150.30 g
as against 129.51, 135.87, 136.31 g for T1
, T2
and T3
respectively, and the best feed conversion ratio
of 6.01. The dressing percentages for the animals in diet T1
, differed (P < 0.05) from that of T2
, T3
and T4
respectively. The hind limb, fore limb and thoracic cage weights were significantly higher at
30% dietary levels. Organ weights (liver, heart, lungs and kidney) were similar (P > 0.05) among the
groups. 30% dietary level of GALM resulted in reduced cost of feed and cost/kg weight gain of rabbit
production. Consequently Cost/benefit ratio was best for rabbits in diet T4
(1 : 4.04). Rabbits in diet
T4
had the best performance and therefore 30% GALM is recommended for enhanced and cheaper
rabbit production.
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