Growth Performance and Apparent Nutrient Digestibility Coefficients of Weaned Rabbits Fed Diets Containing Different Forms of Cocoa Pod Husk Meal

Abstract

The growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients of weaned rabbits fed corn-soybean meal basal diets containing different forms of cocoa pod husk meal were determined. A total of 60 mixed breed rabbits of both sexes (30 bucks and 30 does) with average initial weight of 606.42±1.30g were used in a nine week feeding trial using a completely randomized design. Twelve is nitrogenous and is caloric diets were formulated containing sundried (T1 T2, T3 & T4), fermented (T5 T6, T7 & T8), and hot-water treated (T9 T10, T11 & T12) cocoa pod husk meal (CPHM) each at 0, 12.5, 25 and 37.5% levels of inclusion, respectively. Diet with 0% CPHM served as the control in the different forms of the cocoa pod husk meal based diets. Growth performance parameters (feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio) were determined, while apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients were determined at the 9th week using the direct in vivo method. The digestibility coefficients were calculated using appropriate formula. Results of the study revealed that the final weight, total weight gain and average daily feed intake recorded significant (P<0.05) differences between dietary treatments. When compared with values in the control, diets with the highest inclusion level (37.5%) CPHM had the least total weight gain with the sundried, fermented and hot-water treated groups having 557.50, 570.83 and 390.00 g/rabbit respectively. The average daily feed intake declined with increasing levels of sundried CPHM (i.e. 66.94, 62.56, 59.27 and 52.98 g/rabbit/day, respectively). The hot-water treated CPHM diets recorded the worst FCR beyond 12.5% level when compared with other forms of CPHM. Some of the apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients for ash and NFE recorded significant (P<0.05) differences between dietary treatments, while crude protein, crude fibre and ether extract digestibility coefficients were statistically similar across dietary treatments in all the three forms of CPHM. The sundried CPHM had the least digestible crude protein (75.07%) at the highest inclusion level (37.5%). The study concludes that the three different forms of cocoa pod husk meal in the following order of superiority (fermented, hot-water treated and sundried) can be included in diets meant for rabbits at levels not exceeding 25% for optimum growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients .

Nutritional enhancement of cocoa pod husk meal through fermentation using Rhizopus stolonifer

“…Implying that fermented CPH meal can be used to replace some conventional feed ingredient within the same protein content range. Adeyeye et al (2017) reported 13.66 g/100 g CP in ash-treated cocoa pod husk meal while Ozung et al, (2017) observed crude protein values ranging between 7.70 and 8.94 g/100 g DM CP as against 21.92 g/100 g DM CP that was obtained in this current study. This is indicative of the efficacy of R. stolonifer and the fermentation process employed in this study to increase the crude protein content of the CPH and this confirms the studies reported by Balagopalan (1996), Leifa et al, (2001) and Alemawor et al, (2009) on the ability of fungi to enhance the nutritive values of agroresidue on coffee husk, cassava by-products and cocoa pod husk.…”

“…The result obtained from this study implied that the crude protein (CP) content of the R. stolonifer-fermented CPH meal was higher than the one in raw sample by about 27.66 to 48.59% and those earlier reported by Adeyeye et al (2017) and Ozung et al, (2017). Implying that fermented CPH meal can be used to replace some conventional feed ingredient within the same protein content range.…”

“…This supports the intended aim of fermentation which was meant to improve the CP content and lower the crude fiber content of CPH meal so as to enhance the usability of the test ingredient for monogastric animal nutrition. The crude fiber contents reported by Nortey et al, (2015) and Adeyeye et al, (2017) after fermentation were 7.04 and 14.83%, respectively whereas Ozung et al, (2017) reported significantly higher values: 57.42 and 53.37% from fermentation and hot-water treatment of the CPH meal, respectively. Lateef et al, (2008) and Alemawor et al, (2009) reported 7.2 and 17.08% reduction of CF in CPH meal, respectively.…”

“…Previous works revealed their potential use as an unconventional low-cost feed ingredient for livestock nutrition, reducing feed costs by replacing some of the expensive conventional feed ingredients used in ration formulation (Ozung et al, 2017;Adeyeye et al, 2018). Ashade and Osineye (2013) also reported an increase in weight gain and profit margin when CPH was used to substitute 100% maize in the diet of Oreochromis niloticus.…”

“…However, the replacement value for CPH in monogastric nutrition is limited by its poor nutrient composition which causes slow growth rate of livestock due to poor feed intake and digestibility (Adeyeye et al, 2018). Its low protein value coupled with the presence of high amounts of lignin as well as non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) including hemicellulose and cellulose, which are poorly utilized by farm animals (particularly monogastrics) constitute major limitation to its replacement value in animal diets (Ozung et al, 2017).…”