11 research outputs found
Growth Performance, Economic Value and Carcass Characteristics of Rabbits Fed Lablab Seed as Major Protein Source in Diet
No full textA study was conducted to determine the growth performance, Economic assessment and carcasscharacteristics of rabbits fed lablab seed. The Highworth variety was processed by decortication, toastingand boiling, mill and respectively incorporated into diets T2, T3, T4 and T5 to provide 75% of proteinprovided by full fat soyabean (FFSB) in the control diet (T1). Thirty, 5-weeks old mixed bred rabbitsweighing between 350-358g were used in a completely randomized design. Rabbits fed heat treated seeddiets grew faster than those fed raw or decorticated seed diets. Growth parameters were similar for rabbitsfed T1, T4 and T5 diets. The dressing percentage of the rabbits fed control and heat treated lablab seeddiets were similar (55.35-59.13%) and higher than that of rabbits fed the raw (45.15%) or decorticated(45.75%) seed diets. Less cost was incurred on rabbits live weight gain using the control diet than thelablab seed diets. It cost N119.65 using boiled lablab seed diet for rabbits to gain 1kg live weight and₦128.91 was spent for the rabbits to gain same weight within the same period using toasted lablab seeddiets. Heat processed lablab seed diets were however, more cost effective than raw or decorticated lablabseed diets and more cost was incurred using decorticated than raw lablab seeds. Feeding of raw ordecorticated Lablab purpureus seed in diets resulted in poor growth and subsequent death of rabbits.Lablab purpureus must be processed before use in monogastric diets. Heat processed Lablab purpureusseed meal can be used to replace FFSB in diet to provide 75% of FFSB protein
Effect of replacing maize with graded levels of sweet potato vine – cassava composite meal on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics and economics of production of weaned rabbits
No full textThe study was carried out to determine the feed value of replacing maize with graded levels of sweet potato vine – cassava composite meal (SPV-CCM) to rabbits. Five treatment diets were formulated to contain SPV-CCM inclusion levels of 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Thirty weaned rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes were used for the experiment. They were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments with one rabbit as a replicate in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Parameters measured were that of growth, digestibility, carcass and economics of production. The result showed that there was no significant (P>0.05) difference effect on final weight, total weight gain, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio across the dietary treatments. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference on crude protein digestibility, crude fibre and ether extract which were within the required values for rabbit. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference on live weight at slaughter, dressing percentage, heart, liver, kidney, lungs/trachea, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, caecum, large intestine and visceral fat, there was however, a significant (P<0.05) difference in dressed weight, pancreases, spleen and kidney fat. A high cost of feeding, cost per kilogram diet and production was recorded in T5 and low cost of feeding, cost per kilogram diet and production in T1. The result showed that maize could be replaced by SPV-CCM up to 100% without any adverse effect on their performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics. However, the optimum performance was observed when 75% SPV-CCM replaced maize in the diet. Replacement of maize with SPV-CCM has relative cost advantage over the control diet and so should be incorporated in the diet of rabbit up to the level considered in this study.
Keywords: Rabbit, Sweet potato vine, Cassava, Unconventional, Maiz
Effect of replacing maize with cassava root-forage composite meal in diet on growth performance and production economics of rabbit
No full textThe study investigated the effect of replacing maize with cassava root-forage composite meal (CR-FCM) in diets on growth performance and production economics of rabbits. The CR-FCM was prepared to be iso-nitrogenous with maize using unpeel cassava root mixed with either cassava leaf meal, Moringa oleifera leaf meal, sweet potato vine meal, or Tridax procumbens leaf meal in the following proportions 1:1.5, 2.95:1, 2.65:1 and 1:1 respectively to separately replace maize in the control diet (T1). Each of the leaf meal in a mixture in diet constitutes experimental treatments T2, T3, T4, and T5 respectively. Thirty weaned mixed breed rabbits were allocated to the experimental diets in a completely randomized design. Rabbits fed T1, T2, T3 and T5 showed no significant (P<0.05) differences in feed intake and weight gain. Body weight gains of rabbit fed T1, T2 and T3 diets were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those fed T4. Feed/gain ratio (3.22) by rabbit fed T3 diets was only significantly (P<0.05) better than those on T4 (3.75) and T5 (3.79). Cost/kg diet, total feed cost, total cost of production and feed cost as percent of total cost of production were reduced, due to the replacement. Gross margin was maximized with T3 and minimal with T4. T4 is therefore recommended for maximum returns.Keywords: Rabbit; Cassava-root; Unconventional-feedstuff; Forage; Maiz
The effect of maize cob meal (MCM) on performance and economy of feed conversion of growing rabbits
No full textA feeding trial was conducted with thirty (30) weaner rabbits to investigate the nutritive potentials of maize cob meal (MCM). Thirty mixed breed rabbits were used and randomly assigned to treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 in which MCM replaced maize at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% weight for weight respectively at the rate of six (6) rabbits per dietary treatment. Results of preliminary experiments showed that MCM contained ME of 2104kcal, CP of 3.0%, cellulose of 34%, NDF of 70.63%, C of 44%. The rabbits were fed and given drinking water ad-libitum for the twelve-week experimental duration during which their performance, carcass quality and economic analysis were evaluated. Experimental diets depressed all the growth parameters measured except feed conversions ratio when MCM exceeded 10%. Average daily feed intake was in the range of 34.84-50.01g while average final weight range was 1215.83-1625g. The diet also affected the economy of feed conversion such that feeding of dietary treatments resulted in a positive net revenue of N 398.31 to N 682.31 per rabbit. It can be concluded that maize cob meal can replace maize in growing rabbit diet up to 10% without adverse effect on the performance parameters.Key words: Economy of feed conversion; Maize Cob Meal; Performance and Rabbi
Effect of graded levels of maize cob meal as replacement for dietary maize on the carcass characteristics of growing rabbits
No full textA 12 week feeding trial was conducted with thirty (30) weaner rabbits with average weight of 355.00g of mixed breed (New Zealand X American Chinchilla) and mixed sexes to investigate the effect of maize cob meal (MCM) on carcass characteristics. Thirty mixed breed rabbits were used and randomly assigned to treatments T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 in which MCM replaced maize at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% weight for weights respectively at the rate of six (6) rabbits per dietary treatment. Results obtained showed that MCM contained ME of 2104kcal, CP of 3.0%, cellulose of 34%, NDF of 70.63%, C of 44%. Significant difference was observed on carcass yield, internal organs and gastrointestinal tract characteristics. Dressing percentage values ranged from 54.05 to 62.44%. It was concluded that maize cob meal can replace maize in growing rabbit diet up to 10% without adverse effect on the carcass characteristics.Keywords: Carcass; Maize Cob Meal; Rabbi
Digestibility and Growth Performance of Rabbits Fed Raw or Processed Lablab Purpureus Seed in Diets
No full textA study was conducted to determine the Digestibility of growing rabbits fed raw or processed Lablabpurpureus seed in diets. The Highworth variety was processed by decortication, toasting and boiling, milland respectively incorporated into diets T2, T3, T4 and T5 to replace 75% of protein provided by full fatsoyabean (FFSB) in the control diet (T1). The effect of replacing FFSB with Lablab purpureus seed onnutrient digestibility was investigated in growing rabbits in an 8-week feeding trial with 5-weeks oldmixed bred rabbits weighing between 350-358g in a completely randomized design. The Highworth lablabseeds diets and faecal samples of experimental rabbits were assayed for proximate chemical composition.The crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract and energy digestibility were higher in rabbits fed raw ordecorticated lablab seed diets than those fed control or heat treated seed diets. Decorticated lablab seeddiets were most digested than the other diets. This suggests that the cortex of legume seed may haveimposed a negative influence on the digestibility of these nutrients. The present study indicates that thedigestion of a diet may be high but the utilization can be poor due to impaired absorption; caused by thepresence of anti-nutritional factors like phytohaematogglutinins, which exert a non-selective adverse effecton the absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract rather than a direct effect on the digestive process
Effect of replacing maize with composite cassava meal (CCM) on growth and economics performance of rabbit
No full textA 91 day feeding trial was conducted using twenty (20) weaned heterogeneous breed rabbits of both sexes with initial weight of 225g–500g to evaluate the replacement value of maize for composite cassava meal (CCM) in diet. Five experimental diets were formulated such that the control diet represented as treatment 1 (T1) contained 100% maize as the major energy source in the diet. CCM replaced 25, 50, 75 and 100% of maize in the other treatments (T2, T3 T4 and T5 respectively). The rabbits were divided into five treatments of four rabbits each and randomly assigned to the five diets in a completely randomized design with each rabbit serving as replicate. Data collected included weight gain and feed intake, while feed conversion ratio and economics of production were computed. The result revealed that the crude protein (17.78-16.26%) and ether extract (6.79-5.93) content of the diet decreases as level of CCM increased in the diets while crude fibre (12.67-13.88%) content increased with increased level of CCM in the diet. The nutrient compositions of the experimental diets were within acceptable ranges for growing rabbits. The final weight and the total weight gain were not affected by treatment but feed intake significantly increased as the level of replacement increased indicating enhanced acceptability due to CCM in diet. Daily weight gain was also enhanced as the level of replacement of CCM for maize increased. The cost of feed per kg was reduced but the total cost of feeding was increased as the level of replacement increased. The cost of production was minimized and profit was maximized at 100%, when 100% of the maize was replaced by CCM. CCM has no harmful effect on performance of rabbits and the replacement of maize with CCM in diet has reduce the cost of feed per kilogram and maximize profit at 100% level of replacement. Farmers can include composite cassava meal in diet of rabbits to replace 100% of maize as major source of energy in diet.Keywords: Rabbit, cassava, unconventional, foliage, maiz
Performance, apparent nutrient digestibility responses and the economics of feeding Nigerian rice milling by-products to weaner rabbits
No full textAn eighty-four (84) day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding rice milling by-products (rice offal, rice bran and rice grain rejects) on growth performance and production economics of crossbred (New Zealand white X Chinchilla) weaner rabbits with mean live weight of 347g. The rabbits were randomly allotted, 5 each, to five experimental diets, with each animal serving as a replicate. The diets were designated D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5. Diet D1 contained no rice milling by-products and served as the control, D2 contained 20% rice offal, D3 20% rice bran, D4 20% rice grain rejects and D5 10% rice bran + 10% grain rejects. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio (67.94-79.42g, 13.50-15.97g, and 4.71-5.67 respectively) were not affected (p>0.05) by inclusion of rice milling by-products in the diets. Apparent nutrient digestibility indices, except for Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE), were also not influenced (p>0.05) by treatments. NFE digestibility was depressed by the feeding of rice offal (p<0.05). Feed cost per kg of weight gain was highest for the rabbit fed the control diet (₦587/kg) and lowest (p<0.05) for those on diet containing rice bran (₦436/kg). Gross margin between total production cost and revenue was highest for rabbits fed a combination of rice bran and rice grain rejects(₦701.18/rabbit), and lowest (₦561.62/rabbit) for the diet that contained no rice milling by-products. It was, therefore, concluded that the use of these rice milling by-products can be recommended for meat rabbit production. However, further studies should be carried out to elaborate the chemical properties and feed potential of this class of feed ingredients.
Key words: Feed intake, weight gain, Feed conversion ratio, Nutrients digestibility, Rice milling by-product
Effect of feeding some evergreen tropical browse plant leaves on performance, digestibility and economic analysis of growing rabbits
No full textA feeding trial was conducted with thirty (30) weaner rabbits to investigate the nutritive potentials of some evergreen tropical browse plant leaves (Ficcus thoningii, Vitex doniana, Daniela oliveri, Sarcocephalus latifolia). Mixed breed rabbits were used and randomly assigned to five (5) treatments (T1 - T5). The rabbits in Treatment 1 were fed concentrate only (control), while those in T2 - T5 were fed as follows; Treatment 2: Ficcus thoningii + concentrate of 3% weekly body weight, Treatment 3: Vitex doniana + concentrate of 3% weekly body weight, Treatment 4: Daniela oliveri + concentrate of 3% weekly body weight, Treatment 5: Sarcocephalus latifolia + concentrate of 3% weekly body weight. The rabbits were fed and given drinking water ad-libitum for the twelve-week experimental duration during which their performance, nutrient digestibility, and economic analysis were evaluated. Experimental diets depressed all the growth parameters measured; average daily feed intake was in the range of 62.67 to 90.17g while average final weight range was 1440.83-1766.67g. Coefficient of digestibility by rabbits was significantly depressed. The diet also affected the economics of production such that feeding of dietary treatments resulted in positive net revenue of N 459.56 to N 628.59 per rabbit. The cost per kg of each treatment feed (N70.61 to N71.11) was lower in the control diets (N70.61) than the browse plant diet (N71.11). The study had shown that the control diet was better in all the parameter measured.Key words: Digestibility, Economic Analysis, Browse Plant, Performance and Rabbit
Nutritional evaluation and histopathological assessment of unprocessed Senna occidentalis (Coffee Senna) seed meal in broiler chicks
No full textA 21 days feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of unprocessed Senna occidentalis seed meal on gross lesions in broiler chickens. One hundred and twenty (120) day-old Anak (2000) broiler chicks were weighed and randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in the deep litter system, replicated 3 times with 30 birds each. Senna occidentalis seeds were collected from the environment of Taraba state University Jalingo in Ardo-kola Local Government Area. They were allowed to dry, cleaned of dirt and milled for the feeding trial. Four experimental diets were formulated T1 (0%) contained no Senna seed and served as the control while T2, T3 and T4 contained 5, 10 and 15% Senna seed. The results of birds fed with 15% unprocessed Senna occidentalis showed inflammation in the bursa of fibricious, congestion in the intestine and ulceration, congestion in the caeca and the intestine were pale and distended. The results also showed a decrease in relative weight of bursa of fabricious (P<0.05) and spleen (P<0.05). Based on the results, Senna occidentalis was toxic to chicks. Hence, the need to detoxify the phytochemical properties of the plant in order to enhance its usage in poultry feeds.Keywords: Histopathological, Senna occidentalis, broiler chickens, Phytochemical, unprocesse
