Effect of replacing maize with graded levels of sweet potato vine – cassava composite meal on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics and economics of production of weaned rabbits

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the feed value of replacing maize with graded levels of sweet potato vine – cassava composite meal (SPV-CCM) to rabbits. Five treatment diets were formulated to contain SPV-CCM inclusion levels of 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Thirty weaned rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes were used for the experiment. They were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments with one rabbit as a replicate in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Parameters measured were that of growth, digestibility, carcass and economics of production. The result showed that there was no significant (P>0.05) difference effect on final weight, total weight gain, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio across the dietary treatments. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference on crude protein digestibility, crude fibre and ether extract which were within the required values for rabbit. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference on live weight at slaughter, dressing percentage, heart, liver, kidney, lungs/trachea, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, caecum, large intestine and visceral fat, there was however, a significant (P<0.05) difference in dressed weight, pancreases, spleen and kidney fat. A high cost of feeding, cost per kilogram diet and production was recorded in T and low cost of feeding, cost per kilogram diet and production in T . The result showed that 1 5 maize could be replaced by SPV-CCM up to 100% without any adverse effect on their performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics. However, the optimum performance was observed when 75% SPV-CCM replaced maize in the diet. Replacement of maize with SPV-CCM has relative cost advantage over the control diet and so should be incorporated in the diet of rabbit up to the level considered in this study.

Performance and blood profile of young doe rabbits fed diets containing two varieties of composite sweet potato (ipomoea batatas Lam) meal in a palm kernelbased diets

“…The daily weight gain of T1(0%) rabbit was also significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of all other treatments which followed a similar trend with the daily feed intake where T1(0%) had a value of 59.23g which was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of all other treatments. The daily feed intake was between 33.78-59.23g which was lower than 66.28-83.24g and 48.24-74.36g reported by Shaahu and Tiough (2019) and Shaahu et al (2017), respectively. The daily weight gain ranged from 8.53-17.71g was higher than that of 4.95-5.23g reported by Uchegbe and Iyeghe-Erakpotobor (2015) who fed rabbits with sweet potato vine based diet supplemented with methionine and lysine, and also higher than and 9.04-12.94g reported by Shaahu and Tiough (2019) who fed rabbits sweet potato vinecassava composite meal.…”

“…The daily feed intake was between 33.78-59.23g which was lower than 66.28-83.24g and 48.24-74.36g reported by Shaahu and Tiough (2019) and Shaahu et al (2017), respectively. The daily weight gain ranged from 8.53-17.71g was higher than that of 4.95-5.23g reported by Uchegbe and Iyeghe-Erakpotobor (2015) who fed rabbits with sweet potato vine based diet supplemented with methionine and lysine, and also higher than and 9.04-12.94g reported by Shaahu and Tiough (2019) who fed rabbits sweet potato vinecassava composite meal. The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) value was not significantly different across the treatments groups, the values were higher than each other.…”

The Interaction between Feed Bioactive Compounds and Chicken Genome

“…Neem leaf extract (Azadirachta indica) is another phytochemical with a proven positive effect on broiler meat quality and also on the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in the breast muscle. It should be, however, emphasized that fresh neem leaves can negatively affect broiler growth due to their high crude fiber content [29], because of which it is necessary to add them in the form of a dry leaf extract. The results of Nakamura et al (2022) [30] showed that the addition of 2.0% neem dry extract to broiler feed increased the expression of genes important for the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the breast muscle (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase-SOD1, Mn superoxidase-MnSOD, glutathione peroxidase 7-GPX 7 and catalase-CAT).…”