Growth and Haematological Response of Growing Rabbits to Diets Containing Graded Levels of Sun Dried Bovine Rumen Content

The growth and haematological response of growing rabbits to diets
containing graded levels of sun dried bovine rumen content (SBRC) were
studied. Five diets containing 0 (control), 10, 20, 30 and 40 % sun dried
bovine rumen content coded as T1,T2,T3,T4 and T5, respectively, were
compared. Twenty growing rabbits were randomly assigned to the
treatments; each treatment had four experimental units. The rabbits were fed
and watered ad libitum.

The parameters measured were feed consumption,
water consumption, body weight gain, mortality, feed conversion ratio, feed
cost per kg gain, feed cost per kg feed, live weight, dressing percentage,
initial body weight, weight of internal organs and haematological
parameters. Data collection was done for a period of nine weeks, but the
experiment lasted for ten weeks. Statistical analysis was carried out on the
data for daily feed consumption, daily water consumption, and daily body
weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed cost per kg gain, and feed cost per
kg feed, dressing percentage, weight of internal organs and haematological
parameters.

There was no significant difference (p> 0.05) amongst the
treatment means. Numerically, however, the rabbits on T5 recorded the best
water and feed consumption, body weight gain, feed cost per kg feed,
weights of internal organs and White Blood Cell count (WBC), while those
on T4 had the best feed cost per kg gain and feed conversion ratio. The best
Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and Red Blood Cell count (RBC) were obtained
with the rabbits fed T3 while T1 had the best dressing percentage. No
mortality was recorded throughout the study.