Performance of wea ner rabbits fed diets supplemented with Pawpaw (Carica Papaya) leaf meal
Journal Title: Scientific Journal of Animal Science - Year 2015, Vol 4, Issue 12
Abstract
14 weeks feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding pawpaw leaf meal (PLM) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of weaned rabbits. Fourty five (45) weaned rabbits were used in a completely randomized design with five dietary treatments, each replicated three time with three (3) rabbits per replicate. The five inclusion levels of PLM (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% 20% PLM) were used. Experimental animals were housed in metal hutches having separate feeders and drinkers. They were randomly assigned to the five experimental diets of PLM. Feed intake and weight gain were measured weekly. Carcass evaluation was conducted at the end of the study. The results showed that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) among all the treatments with respect to feed intake and feed-gain ratio. Weaner rabbits fed the control diet (0% PLM) and those fed 10% PLM recorded higher weight gains (960.33g and 967.00g respectively) than those fed 5% PLM and 15% PLM (934.33g and 932.50g respectively). Dressed weight was affected (P<0.05) by the different dietary treatments. It decreases with increase in PLM inclusion. With 0%PLM having the highest dressed weight and 15%PLM having the least. The percentage shoulder, loin, thigh and rack were not affected (P>0.05) by feeding up to 15%PLM. It is therefore concluded that feeding pawpaw leaf meal did not adversely affects the performance of rabbits.
Authors and Affiliations
L. A. Saulawa*| Department of Animal Production & Health, Federal Unive rsity, Dutsin - Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria., M. N. Sabo| Department of Animal Production & Health, Federal Unive rsity, Dutsin - Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria., M. G . Garba| Department of Animal Production & Health, Federal Unive rsity, Dutsin - Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria.
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP734
- DOI 10.14196/ sjas .v 4 i 1 2 . 2047
- Views 438
- Downloads 22
Evaluation of supplemented ginger (Zingiber officinale) levels on the performance of growing and fattening Uda sheep in semi-arid Nigeria
Two different experiments were conducted using fifteen growing lambs and fifteen fattening rams of Uda breedwith average weight of 17 and 21.4 kg and age of between 11and 20 months respectively to evaluate supplemented g...
Supplementing panicum maximum with two medicinal forages in the diet of Djallonke sheep at the Benin national sheep cent
Ensuring a better integration of natural resources in the animal feeds remains the main challenge that farmers face most of the time. The present study, conducted in the breeding farm of Betecourou, deals with the nutr...
Morphobiometrical diversity of the indigenous chicken’s population in the Sudano-sahelian zone of Cameroon
Studies were undertaken at rural, peri-urban and urban areas of the Sudano-sahelian agro-ecological zone of Cameroon to describe the variations in physical characters and some important feather and skin mutations observe...
The effects of sex on carcass yield in indigenous goat
The slaughter data from 90 local Matebele goats (30=does, 30 intact males, 30 castrated males) managed on range were analysed to determine the influence of sex on edible and saleable components. Edible proportion of li...
Assessment of honeybee enemies (pests and predators) in Bale zone, Southeastern Ethiopia
Among all constraints of beekeeping, natural bee enemies are known to cause great damage on the life and the product of honeybees through causing absconding and migration. A study was conducted in Bale from July, 2010- J...