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Performance of Growing Rabbits Fed Diets Containing Fermented and Unfermented Cassava Leaf: Peel Meal Mix as Replacement for Maize

Adeyemi¹*,O.A., Adesanya², P.A, Eniolorunda², O.O., Sogunle¹, O.M., Egbeyale¹, L.T. and Njoku¹, C.P.

¹Department of Animal Production and Helath, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
²Department of Animal Production, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Malaysian J. Anim. Sci. 2014 17(1): 61-72

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The effects of feeding diets containing fermented and unfermented combinations of cassava leaf meal and peel meal mix (CLM-PM) on performance and carcass characteristics of growing rabbits were investigated in a derived savannah vegetation zone of South West Nigeria. Fifty 6-week old growing rabbits of mixed breed (New Zealand White x Chinchila) and sexes with an average weight range of 600-610 g were randomly distributed into five groups to assess five treatment diets: Diet A (Control) 50% maize, Diet B 25% and Diet C 50% replacement of dietary maize with unfermented cassava leaf meal and peel meal mix (UCLM-PM) and Diet D 25% and Diet E 50% replacement of dietary maize with fermented cassava leaf meal and peel meal mix (FCLM-PM in a completely randomized design. The rabbits were individually caged. The trial lasted for 56 d after which the rabbits were starved overnight and slaughtered. Performance data indicated that body weight gain and feed to gain ratio were significantly higher (P<0.05) for FCLM-PM compared with UCLM-PM. A similar trend was observed for digestibility and carcass attributes. Dietary treatments however did not influence (P>0.05) liver and kidney weights. Diet D showed consistent superior performance in dressing out percentage, primal cuts of fore and hind parts compared to the control and other dietary treatments. The superiority of Diet D was further emphasized as the cost of producing a kg of rabbit using the diet was 16.88% lower compared to Diet A. It was therefore concluded that replacement of 25% of dietary maize content of rabbit diet with fermented cassava leaf meal and peel meal mix can result in superior performance over the control diet.