Performance and blood profile of young doe rabbits fed diets containing two varieties of composite sweet potato (ipomoea batatas Lam) meal in a palm kernelbased diets

Abstract

Eighty-four does of mixed breeds aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 550–600g were used todetermine the effect of feeding two varieties of composite sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)root meal (CSPM) on the haematological and serum biochemical indices of rabbits. Therabbits were randomly allocated into seven treatments. T1 was the control while T2, T3, T4,contained 25, 50 and 75 % of maize replaced with CIP440293 CSPM and T5, T6 and T7contained TIS87/0087 CSPM replaced with 25, 50 and 75 % of maize. The treatments hadfour replicates each in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) experiment. The dietscontained 10.6-12.6 % crude fibre, 16.4-17.6 % crude protein and 2610-2788 Kcal/Kgmetabolizable energy. Parameters measured were growth, haematological and serumbiochemical index of the rabbit. The result showed that there were significant (P<0.05)differences on the final weight gain, daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed cost andsurvival ability of the rabbits. The FCR was not significantly (P>0.05) different across thedietary treatments. At the end of nine weeks of feeding trial, blood samples were collectedfrom three rabbits per treatment. The results indicate that the dietary treatments hadsignificant (P<0.05) influence on the concentrations of white blood cells and eosinophils.However, there were no significant influence of the diets on other haematologicalparameters. Total protein, urea, globulin and creatinine were also not affected (P>0.05) bythe treatment diets but albumin, cholesterol, glucose, aspartate transaminase (AST), alaninetransaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were influenced by the different dietarytreatments. These results show that CSPM of two varieties can be included up 50 % ingrowing rabbit diets without adverse effect on haematology and serum indices of rabbits