Growing Rabbit Diets Research Articles

Study on the Optimal Crude Papaya Latex Content of Growing Rabbit Diet under Summer Conditions: Effects on Growth Performance and Immune Status

Study on the Optimal Crude Papaya Latex Content of Growing Rabbit Diet under Summer Conditions: Effects on Growth Performance and Immune Status

Performance of broilers and rabbits given diets containing full fat neem (Azadirachta indica) seed meal

AbstractExperiments were carried out to establish the suitability of full fat neem seed meal (FFNSM) in broiler and growing rabbit diets. In the broiler experiment, 200-day-old (Babcock) broiler chicks were used in a 10-week trial, with the FFNSM fixed at 0 (control), 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg diet. In the rabbit experiment 24 rabbits of three different breeds were used in an 8-week trial, with the FFNSM fixed at 0 (control), 100, 200 and 300 g/kg diet. The criteria of response were food intake, weight gain, food conversion and protein efficiency ratio and mortality. There was a significant (P < 0·05) negative correlation between the dietary inclusion of FFNSM, weight gain and food conversion efficiency of the birds in the starter phase. In the finisher phase from 5 to 10 weeks, food intake, weight gain, food conversion and protein efficiency ratio did not differ significantly (P > 0·05) between the birds on the control diet and diets containing up to 75 g FFNSM per kg. For all the measurements, rabbits on the diet with 100 g FFNSM per kg gave better results than the control. Food intake, weight gain, food conversion efficiency and protein efficiency ratio did not differ significantly (P > 0·05) between rabbits on control diet and the diet containing 200 g FFNSM per kg. Performance on the diet with 300 g FFNSM per kg was poorest.

Effects of feeding cassava leaf meal on the growth of rabbits

Cassava leaf meal (CLM), prepared from leaves remaining after the harvest of cassava roots, contained (dry basis): 20·1% crude protein, 30·3% acid detergent fibre, 4·6 Mcal kg −1 gross energy, 1·16% calcium, 0·39 phosphorus and 84·0 mg kg −1 hydrocyanic acid. It was also found to be a good source of essential amino acids, except for methionine, and of trace minerals. Two feeding trials were conducted to study the effects of feeding CLM on the growth of rabbits. In each trial, 24 six-weeks-old crossbred rabbits were individually fed diets containing 0%, 20% and 40% CLM substituted for equal amounts of coconut oilcake in a 16% protein control diet. The results suggest that CLM could be used up to the 40% level in growing rabbit diets without any adverse effects on growth performance or carcass characteristics.

Partial and total substitution of maize by sorghum in growing rabbit diets

Partial and total substitution of maize by sorghum in growing rabbit diets

Incorporation of straw into growing rabbit diets

Incorporation of straw into growing rabbit diets