GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTIC OF WEANER RABBITS (Oryctolagus cunniculus) FED DIETS CONTAINING VARYING LEVELS OF Stylosanthes hamata LEAF MEAL

ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to investigate the growth performance and carcass characteristics of weaner rabbits fed varying levels of Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal in the diet. The rabbits were randomly allocated into five treatment groups with three replicates comprising of  two rabbits in each replicate. The rabbits were initially weighed and there after,  subsequent  weights  were  taken  at  weekly  intervals  throughout  the  experimental period which lasted for twelve weeks. Five rations were formulated for the five treatment groups  with  varying  levels  of  Stylosanthes  hamata  leaf  meal.  The inclusion  levels  of Stylosanthes hamata  leaf meal in the diet were  0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5  respectively. The formulated diets were also taken for analysis to determine their proximate  composition  and  energy  values.  Feeding  regimes  were  twice  daily,  in  the morning and in the evening Data were collected on growth parameters, digestibility, anti- nutritional factors, carcass components of rabbits, and organ proportions, organoleptic properties of meat and cost/benefit effect of feeding rabbits with Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal. The results showed that  Stylosanthes  hamata leaf meal  contained low levels of phenol, tannin, saponin, phytate, and oxalate. Rabbits fed the control diet had significantly (p<0.05) reduced performance in terms of feed conversion efficiency, digestibility, final body weights, dressed carcass percentage and carcass cuts. Significant differences (p<0.05) were recorded between treatments for colour, juiciness and overall acceptability with T5 having overall acceptability. The cost of feed per kg and the cost of daily feed intake per rabbit followed the same trend as the cost decreased as the level of Stylosanthes hamata leaf  meal    diets  inclusion  increased.    However,  higher  and  better  performance  were observed when rabbits fed   50 % inclusion levels of Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal with regard to the performance indices mentioned   above. It was concluded that Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal inclusion at the 40% level    improved rabbits performance, and carcass values.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                       INTRODUCTION

In most developing countries of the world as well as in Nigeria, the consumption of animal protein is very low which is approximated to be about   (4.5 g/head/day) as against (35g/head/day) minimum requirement recommended by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO, 2001). One of the  reasons why there is an acute shortage of animal protein in the diets of most Nigerians is as a result of exorbitant cost of conventional feed ingredients as well as inadequate supply of animal protein  leading to high cost of meat and animal products such as mutton, beef,   poultry eggs and milk.   Rabbit (Oryctolagus cunniculus)  has been recommended to be one of the animal having the    best productive advantages  to  bridge the  gap  of    protein  deficiency   “Taiwo,  A.A.,  Adejuigbe,  A.D., Adebowale, E.A., Oshotan, J.S & David O.O (2005)”. Similarly, Iyeghe-Erakpotobor G.T, Abdulmalik M.E, Uguru J.O and Abeke F.O. (2002)  “reported that one of the sure way of meeting the animal protein requirements of the populace is by increased rabbit production”. Akinmutimi and Ezea (2006) on the other hand stated that 70 % of the total cost of rabbit production goes to conventional feeds thereby making them   more expensive to most farmers. The major advantages of rabbits in alleviating inadequacy animal protein in developing economies is hinged on its attributes such as high prolificacy and hence more productive than large ruminants with shorter generation interval and small body size as compared to other farm animals as well as its ability to thrive well on forages. Besides there are no cultural or religious barriers against rabbits meat or keeping rabbits in contrast to pork and beef by Muslims, Jews and Hindus respectively.  ((Biobaku and Dosumu, 2003; Odimba, 2006). Egbo  (2001) reported that rabbits are excellent  converters of feed to meat and utilize as much as  30 % fibre as against 10 % by most species of poultry.

Thus, rabbit daily weight gain  is high in proportion to the body weight which gives them a fast growth rate before sexual maturity. As such   they attain a high weight at sexual maturity 30  %  faster  than  other  animals  Ajayi,  F.O.,  Balogun,  O.O.,  Ovuru,  S.S  and Mgbere  (2005). Nutritionally, rabbit meat is low in cholesterol and fat, and high in protein and highly digestible with dressed weight of 82 to 85 % (Cheeke, 1987; Nyako, 2001; Yusuf  2011. The potential of forages as feed for rabbit is of great importance because of the ability of rabbits to effectively digest leaf protein its availability  (Bello, 2003) . Rabbits are raised for commercial meat production, as laboratory research animals, show, home and as stock for  breeding.  The feeding habits of rabbits does not offer much appreciable competition with man because it can subsist on green-based diets, crop by-product and animal by-product (Mohammed, Igwebuike, and Kwari, 2005). In addition to these unique characteristics.  Rabbit  (Oryctolagus  cunniculus)  is  a  non-ruminant  herbivores  which utilizes much undigested, unabsorbed feed materials, primarily cellulose, as a source of nutrients for maintenance and production. They are known to have the ability to thrive on non-conventional feedstuffs and forages which cannot be consumed directly by man. Such forages are cheap, abundant and available all the year round in many parts of Nigeria (Odeyinka and Ijiyemi, 1997; Shiawoya and Musa, 2006).

Therefore, the relationship between animal production output and feed ingredients and is both direct and obvious. It has been reported that energy feed ingredients and conventional protein for non-ruminants including rabbits, are very expensive and scarce  because of the competition between this group of livestock and humans.

. The primary aim of conventional feed substitution is to reduce feed cost and consequently cost of producing meat and improving reproduction in livestock. There is therefore the need for source for an  alternative, locally available and cheap sources of feed ingredients to  substitute  these  scarce  and  expensive  ones  particularly  those  that  do  not  involve

competition in times of consumption between  humans and livestock (Ayoade, Obiaka, Uza and   Ibeawuchi., 2000; Esonu et al., 2006). One possible source of cheap material is Forages such as Stylosanthes hamata.

Stylosanthes hamata is naturally distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical region in America, Africa, and South Asia (Mannetje, 1992). Stylosanthes species may also be used as cover crops, manure and fallow crops, and may be cut and fed fresh or used as hay (Mannetje and Jones, 1990). Crude protein levels range from 16-24 % in green leaf and 6-

12 % in the stem, depending on age of regrowth and general growing conditions. Stylosanthes was introduced into a number of communities in the northern and coastal savanna of Ghana in 1994. It is estimated that about 5,000 hactares of natural pastures have been over sown with the legume in almost 300 communities in the Savannah zones since

1994 (Oppong- Anane, 1999). Empirical observation indicates that this forage is readily available and some farmers use it as a sole feed or in combination.

1.2  Statement of research problem

In Nigeria, The primary aim of conventional feed substitution was to reduce feed cost and consequently cost of producing meat and improving reproduction in livestock. There is therefore the need to source for an alternative, locally available and cheap sources of feed ingredients to substitute these scarce and expensive ones particularly those that do not involve much competition in consumption between humans and livestock (Ayoade, Obiaka, Ibeawuchi.,  2000;  Esonu  et  al.,  2006).  One  possible  source  of  cheap  material  is Stylosanthes . The potential of this forage Stylosanthes hamata as feed for rabbit is of great importance because of its availability and ability of rabbits to digest leaf protein effectively (Bello, 2003).

1.3   The Justification for the study are :-

(i) The high cost and scarcity of conventional feed resources   coupled with increasing demand for animal protein supply need investigation.

(ii) There is need to provide animal protein source  at a cheaper rate

(iii) The need to provide an acceptable and healthy animal protein source to the public.

1.4  AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This work is aimed at investigating the growth performance and carcass characteristics of rabbit (Oryctolagus cunniculus) fed diet containing varying levels of Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal

The Specific Objectives of the study are to :-

    determine the optimum inclusion levels of Stylosanthes hamata   leaf meal in the diet of growing rabbits that will produce maximum growth  performance in the animal.

     evaluate the carcass characteristics of rabbits fed different level of   Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal (SHLM) in rabbit diet.

          examine the organoleptic  properties of meat of rabbits fed varying levels of SHLM

     evaluate the cost/benefit effect of feeding rabbits with Stylosanthes hamata leaf meal.

₦15,000.00 – DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT Added to cart

---

---

---

---

Related Project Topics :