Hempseed meal as a feedstuff in the diet of growing meat rabbits

Abstract

Though currently not approved in the USA as an agricultural animal feed ingredient, our objective was to determine the effects of hempseed meal replace- ment of traditional CP sources in the diet of growing meat rabbits on intake, growth performance, and visceral organ weights. Pelleted rations were formu- lated in which hempseed meal replaced alfalfa meal and soybean meal at 4 levels (CON, LOW, MED, and HIGH, representing 0, 25, 50, or 75% of the ration CP, respec- tively). Weaned Californian rabbits (n = 64) were pen fed (4 rabbits per pen, 2 pens per treatment) in each of 2 periods for 35 d. After feeding, rabbits were slaughtered via cervical dislocation. Dry matter intake was great- est (P < 0.05) from LOW, followed by MED and then CON, and was least (P < 0.05) from HIGH. Similarly, total weight gain and ADG were greatest (P < 0.05) from LOW (1,230 g and 35.1 g/d, respectively), followed by MED (1,163 g and 33.2 g/d, respectively) and then CON (1,067 g and 30.5 g/d, respectively), and were least (P < 0.05) from HIGH (725 g and 20.7 g/d, respectively). There was a quadratic response (P = 0.03) of treatment for DM digestibility, whereby DM digestibility decreased by 10% from CON to LOW before increasing by 14% with HIGH. Results suggest that hempseed meal may be included in the ration of growing meat rabbits (once legally approved) at low concentrations (25% of dietary CP) for enhanced production.