Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 67: 5271 - 5276 Published July 30, 2013.
Effect of graded levels of dry pineapple peel on digestibility and growth performance of rabbit
ABOH A. B.1,4*, ZOFFOUN G. A.1, DJENONTIN A. J. P.2,BABATOUNDE S.3and MENSAH G. A.11Laboratoire de Recherches Zootechnique, Vétérinaire et Halieutique (LRZVH), Centre de Recherches Agricoles d’Agonkanmey (CRA-Agonkanmey), Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), 01 BP 2359 Recette Principale, Cotonou 01, République du Bénin (West Africa).
Permanent address: 06 BP 629 Cotonou, Bénin (West Africa)
2Université de Parakou / Faculté d’Agronomie, BP 213 Parakou, Bénin.
3Laboratoire de Zootechnie, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Abomey-Calavi 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Bénin.
4Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Sciences et Techniques Agronomiques (ENSTA) de Kétou, Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC).
*Corresponding author. Tel.: (+229) 97 93 14 22; E-mail address: aboh.solex@gmail.com, a2abohboya@yahoo.fr
Original submitted in on 22nd April 2013 Published online at www.m.elewa.org on 30th July 2013.
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of the
inclusion levels of sun dried pineapple peel (PP) in the diets, on the
digestibility and growth performance of rabbits.
Methodology and Results:Diets R0 (control), R20, R30 and R40 were formulated by including 0, 20, 30 and 40% of PP. Panicum maximum C1fodder supplemented the diet of each rabbit. Twenty-four growing rabbits, of 40 to 55 days old, with initial weight 765 ± 128g were used for 70-day trial. Faecal apparent digestibility of dry matter was measured in 12 rabbits during 7 days. The intakeof the diets based on PP was similar (p>0.05) to that in the control diet. Total feed intake ranged from 66 to 72 g DM/kg. The average dry matter digestibility (67.5%) was similar (p>0.05) in rabbits fed diet containing 20% PP and control diet. Average daily weight gain (15.5 to 16.7 g) and feed conversion ratio (5.48 to 6.08) were better in rabbits fed R0, R20 and R30 diets.
Conclusions and application of findings: Results from this study show that weaned rabbits are good consumers of dried PP. This study demonstrated that, the dried PP is a suitable feedstuff for rabbits. It can be included in rabbits’ diets up to 20% without a significant adverse effect on feed intake, dry matter digestibility and growth performance.The PP meal is biologically efficient and environmentally sustainable. It successfully enhanced the rabbit’s growth performance. To get optimum performance of rabbit, famers may not exceed 20% inclusion level in dietary. However, the present technologies do not take into account other equal practices or more important, in farm conditions. Therefore, it is important to include the economical viability aspect in the technologies during on farm research before starting its dissemination.
KEYWORDS: pineapple peel, chemical composition, intake, live weight gain, feed conversion ratio
Methodology and Results:Diets R0 (control), R20, R30 and R40 were formulated by including 0, 20, 30 and 40% of PP. Panicum maximum C1fodder supplemented the diet of each rabbit. Twenty-four growing rabbits, of 40 to 55 days old, with initial weight 765 ± 128g were used for 70-day trial. Faecal apparent digestibility of dry matter was measured in 12 rabbits during 7 days. The intakeof the diets based on PP was similar (p>0.05) to that in the control diet. Total feed intake ranged from 66 to 72 g DM/kg. The average dry matter digestibility (67.5%) was similar (p>0.05) in rabbits fed diet containing 20% PP and control diet. Average daily weight gain (15.5 to 16.7 g) and feed conversion ratio (5.48 to 6.08) were better in rabbits fed R0, R20 and R30 diets.
Conclusions and application of findings: Results from this study show that weaned rabbits are good consumers of dried PP. This study demonstrated that, the dried PP is a suitable feedstuff for rabbits. It can be included in rabbits’ diets up to 20% without a significant adverse effect on feed intake, dry matter digestibility and growth performance.The PP meal is biologically efficient and environmentally sustainable. It successfully enhanced the rabbit’s growth performance. To get optimum performance of rabbit, famers may not exceed 20% inclusion level in dietary. However, the present technologies do not take into account other equal practices or more important, in farm conditions. Therefore, it is important to include the economical viability aspect in the technologies during on farm research before starting its dissemination.
KEYWORDS: pineapple peel, chemical composition, intake, live weight gain, feed conversion ratio
FULL PAPER [PDF AVAILABLE HERE]
