Replacement Value of Sorghum Milling Dust for Maize in the Diets of Weaner Rabbits

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the replacement value of sorghum milling dust for maize in rabbit production. Five weeks feeding trial involving thirty-two, six weeks old New Zealand White weaner rabbits weighing 584.38g on the average was arranged in Completely Randomized Design and fed four diets containing 0 (control), 10, 20 and 30% malted sorghum milling dust (MSMD). The MSMD was high in crude protein (10.30%) and crude fibre (20.60%). The body weight gain, feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratios of rabbits fed 10 and 30% MSMD were higher than the control and 20% MSMD. Rabbits fed diet containing 30% MSMD recorded the highest daily weight gain of 37.14 g while the least value of 27.14 g was observed for rabbits on control diet. The inclusion at 30% MSMD resulted in a very high utilization of the diet by the rabbit and least cost of feed/kg weight gain.

Keywords: Sorghum dust, weaner rabbit, maize