Ibrahim, A. A., Aliyu, J. Mannir, N., Amin, A. B., Muhammad, A. I. and Audu, R. |
ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Sabara leaf meal on the body weight and linear body measurements of rabbits. Live body and measurements of body weight, height at withers, body length, heart girth, were monitored on rabbits. Animals were managed in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and replicates. The Sabara leaf meal (SLM) was fed at concentration of 0, 10, 20 and 30% in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The experimental diets and clean drinking water were offered to the animals ad libitum. Sabara leaf meal was analyzed to contain a crude protein value of 17.17%. Rabbits fed diets with 10 – 30% SLM gained weight (P<0.05) better than those fed the control diets. Initial body weights were all similar. There were significant increases in daily weight gain (P<0.05), body weight gain (P<0.05) and final body weight (P<0.01) by rabbits as the SLM level increased in the diet. SLM inclusion in the diets increases height at withers, heart girth and nose to tail with T4 (14.20, 23.93, and 13.26cm respectively) being superior to the control. The weight of the head, fat, kidney, heart, lungs, pancreas, stomach, colon and felt of rabbits fed SLM diet were significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01) affected by the dietary treatment. The result of this study indicated that the addition of 30% SLM to the diets of growing rabbits improved growth performance. SLM could be used as a feed ingredient to raise rabbits without any visible deleterious effect on growth performance. |
