were ground and mixed together with maize and groundnut cake. Table 1 shows the ..... any deleterious effect or significant depression in daily weight gain and ...
Vol. 5(5), pp. 81-87, May 2014 DOI: 10.5897/IJLP2013.0156 Article Number: CE3943C44351 ISSN 2141-2448 Copyright © 2014 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/IJLP
International Journal of Livestock Production
Full Length Research Paper
Effect of varying levels of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) haulms on the growth performance of weaners rabbits (Oryctalagus cuniculus) Etchu K. A.1*, Ngu G. T.2, Yongabi K. A.3 and Woogeng I. N.2 1
Regional Research Center, IRAD, Ekona, PMB 25, BUEA, Cameroon. Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Buea, Box 63, Buea, Cameroon. 3 Microbiology Programme, School of Science, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, PMB 0248, Bauchi State, Nigeria. 2
Received 7 April, 2013; Accepted 23 December, 2013
Thirty two, 6 to 8 weeks old rabbits of mongrel origin, balanced for sex and weighing averagely 0.92 kg were allotted to four dietary treatments in a complete randomized design (CRD) with 8 rabbits per treatment. The diets contained groundnut haulms (GH) at 40, 50, 60 and 70% levels of inclusion with a crude protein content of 16%. The rabbits were fed for eight weeks with 6 weeks of preliminary feeding and 2 weeks of faecal collection. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results obtained indicated an increase in feed conversion ratio (FCR), acid detergent fiber digestibility (ADFD), crude protein digestibility (CPD) and feed cost (=N=) / kg weight gain (FC/WG), and a decrease in dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), daily weight gain (DWG), crude protein digestibility (CPD) and digestible dry matter intake (DDMI) with increasing fibre level. There was a significant difference (P
