Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Economy of Rabbits Fed Varying Dietary Levels of Cameroon Pepper Fruit Meal

Abstract

Thirty six (36) weanling crossbred male rabbits (Chinchilla x New Zealand) with an average weight of 0.85kg were allotted in a CRD to four experimental diets (16.55% CP and 2650 kcal ME/kg) or treatments and fed ad libitum for 12weeks. Each treatment comprised of 9 rabbits in 3 replicates of three rabbits each. Treatments or diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% Cameroon Pepper Fruit Meal (CPFM) respectively while Treatment/Diet 1 without CPFM (0%) served as the control. The Rabbits were housed in a three-tier iron hutch (65cm x 66cmx 52cm). The daily weight gain, final body weight, feed efficiency and digestibility of dry matter, ether extract and crude fibre were similar (p > 0.05) across treatments meaning that CPFM had no negative effect on these parameters. Daily feed intake (69.10 – 89.07g) and protein intake (11.45 – 14.75g), feed conversion ratio (6.38 – 9.98), protein efficiency ratio (1.39 – 1.82), metabolizable energy intake (177.12 – 228.03 kcal/kg), cost of feed intake per rabbit (N651.47 – 820.05), cost of feed intake per kg body weight gain (N710.74 – 1093.81) and digestibility of crude protein (77.75 – 84.54%) varied significantly (p < 0.05) across treatments. Feeding crossbred weaner rabbits with diets containing up to 0.3% CPFM elicited optimum growth performance with the highest value for weight gain, final body weight, protein intake, digestibility of protein, protein efficiency ratio and efficiency of feed utilization; and a corresponding least value for feed conversion ratio and cost of feed per kg body weight gain.

Keywords: Rabbit, Cameroon pepper, Performance, Economy, Digestibility

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-24-06

Publication date: December 31^st 2019