Growth performance, carcass and economic characteristics of weaner rabbits fed varying levels of pelleted boiled Negro coffee (Senna occidentalis) seed meal,

Abstract

The growth performance, carcass and economic characteristics of weaner rabbits fed diets containing graded levels of pelleted boiled Senna occidentalis seed meal were studied. Forty five (45) mixed breeds and sexes’ weaner rabbits were used for the experiment. The rabbits were randomly assigned to five (5) dietary treatments containing boiled Senna occidentalis seed meal (BSOSM) at 0.0 %, 2.50 %, 5.00 %, /.50 % and 10.00 % inclusion levels. The experimental design was a completely randomized design The data collected included body weight and feed intake, while the body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), energy efficiency (EE), cost of feed per kg body weight gain and nutrient digestibility were calculated. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance. The results revealed that there were significant (P < 0.05) differences in all parameters measured and rabbits fed 7.5 % BSOSM had the best performance in terms of growth rate. Protein efficiency ratio and energy efficiency (EE). They also had the lowest cost of feed per Kg body weight gain. The result of the carcass characteristics measured 'showed that these characteristics were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the levels of inclusion of BSOSM. It can be inferred that BSOSM is of good nutritional quality if the anti-nutritional factors are eliminated. It was therefore concluded that up to 7.5 % of boiled Senna occidentalis seed meal could be used in formulating diets for rabbits with no deleterious effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics.