Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances

Year: 2006
Volume: 5
Issue: 8
Page No. 707 - 711

The Effect of Graded Levels of Dietary Inclusion of Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata) Leaf Meal in Grower Rabbits Diet in a Tropical Environment

Authors : A.H Akinmutimi and A. Akufo

Abstract: A feeding trial was conducted using 24 grower rabbits to evaluate the effect of graded levels of dietary inclusion of Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed) leaf meal in their diets. The rabbits were divided in to 4 treatments with 3 replicates per treatment arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Four diets were formulated. Diet 1 was the control diet while diets2, 3 and 4 contain 15,25 and 35 % dietary levels of the test ingredient (Siam weed leaf meal), respectively. Each diet represented a treatment. Feed and water were given ad -libitum. The experiment lasted for 56 days. Data were colleted for feed intake, weight gain, carcass quality and organ weight from where other parameters like feed conversion ratio, percent mortality, organ and carcass weight expressed as percentage dressed weight were calculated. For growth performance, there was significant difference (p<0.05) between the treatment means for all the parameters measured. The feed intake the weight gain, final live weight and gross margin decreased as the quantity of the test ingredient increased in the diets while feed conversion ratio and percent mortality also increased.15, 25 and 35 % level of inclusion of test ingredient did not support efficient growth performance. For cut parts and organ weight expressed as percent dressed weight, rabbits fed diets 1 and 3 showed significantly higher (p<0.05) values than others with diet 1 having highest numerical values than diet 3 making it a more superior diet. The liver, kidney and heart were higher for test diets than that of control diet. In conclusion, 15, 25 and 35 levels of inclusion of Siam weed leaf meal do not support good growth performance, carcass quality and organ weight.

How to cite this article:

Akinmutimi, A.H and A. Akufo , 2006. The Effect of Graded Levels of Dietary Inclusion of Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata) Leaf Meal in Grower Rabbits Diet in a Tropical Environment. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 5: 707-711.

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