Apparanet Nutrient Digestibility and Cecal Parameters of Rabbits Fed Concentrate with Guinea Grass (Panicum Maximum) and Purple Velvet (Gynura Aurantiaca)
Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the apparent nutrient digestibility and cecal parameters of grower rabbits fed concentrates with Panicum maximum and Gynura aurantiaca. A total of 24 New Zealand rabbits were used for the study and were randomly assigned to four (4) dietary treatments of T1, T2, T3 and T4 in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six (6) animals per treatment. They were subjected to varying ration of 100% concentrates (C) for the control, 50% concentrate + 50% of Pannicum maximum (C+G) for T2, 50% concentrate + 50% of Gynura aurantiaca for T3, and 50% of concentrate + 25% of Pannicum maximum + 25% of Gynura aurantiaca for T4. Nutrient digestibility and cecal parameters were analyzed at the end of the experimental trial. The result from the study showed significant (P<0.05) difference on crude protein digestibility, dry matter digestibility, crude fat digestibility, ash digestibility, crude fibre digestibility, and nitrogen free extract digestibility. Thus, rabbits fed 50% concentrate+25% guinea grass+25% purple velvet showed superior values for crude protein digestibility, dry matter digestibility, and nitrogen free extract digestibility, with respect to other groups. Crude fat digestibility, and crude fibre digestibility were statistically highest among rabbits fed 50% concentrate+50% purple velvet when compared to other treated groups. Also, rabbits fed the control diet and those fed 50%concentrate + 50% Gynura aurantiaca recorded similar values that were statistically highest when compared to others. Furthermore, the cecal pH and NH3 were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the test diet with the superior value of cecal pH recorded among rabbits fed 50% concentrate+25% guinea grass+25% purple velvet with low values of NH3 when compared to other treated groups. Thus, the research recommends that equal mixture of concentrate at 50%+ 25% Guinea grass +25% of Gynura aurantiaca in treatment 4 should be adopted due to their promising potentials from the parameters analyzed.
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Introduction
1.1 Description of problem
Rabbits have been recognized to play an important role to Nigerians especially in the rural and peri-urban areas because they have different converters of feed to meat and can utilize up to 30% crude fibre as against 10% by most poultry species (1). Despite the promising potential of the rabbit as meat and for production of animal protein, factors like scarcity of feed ingredients and poor nutrient digestibility limit their sustainability (2). As earlier reported by (3 and 4), the nutritional status from most of the conventional feed available to the rabbits have been compromised despite their rising cost. This means that the expectations from most rabbit farmers have been jeopardized owing to poor digestibility of the available nutrients. (5) buttressed that such cases make economic losses inevitable to the rabbitry owners. It’s within this context that elicited an explosion of interest to search for an alternative feed source that can produce an economically viable end results in a relatively short period (6). Forages (Panicum maximum and Gynura aurantiaca) are readily available and cheap in the tropics, and rabbits, being pseudo ruminants have the ability to utilise forages for growth. (7) confirmed from his study that it was economical to raise rabbits on mixed diet of concentrate and forage. This means that it is feasible to ameliorate the menace in rabbit production by supplementing concentrates with Panicum maximum and Gynura aurantiaca that are nutritious and palatable. It is therefore within this assertion that the study was carried out. The objective of the study was to evaluate the apparent nutrient digestibility and cecal parameters of grower rabbits fed concentrates with Panicum maximum and Gynura aurantiaca.
Conclusion
The result from the present study showed that
1. The experimental diet possesses adequate nutrient to support the well-being of the rabbits.
2. Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and purple velvet (Gynura aurantiaca) forage recorded an improved dry matter digestibility, crude protein digestibility, crud fat digestibility, crude fibre digestibility, crude ash digestibility, and NFE digestibility.
3. 50% concentrate+25%guinea grass+25% purple velvet increased the cecal pH with decreasing levels of NH3.
4. The research recommends that equal mixture of concentrate at 50%+ 25% Guinea grass +25% of Purple velvet in treatment 4 should be adopted due to their promising potentials from the parameters analyzed.