The effect of forage to concentrate ratios on the performance of weaner rabbits

Abstract

The effect of forage to concentrate ratios on the performance of weaner rabbits was investigated using twenty (20) weaner rabbits. They were randomly assigned to five treatment diets/with two replicates of two (2) rabbits per pen in a completely randomized design CRD). The experiment lasted for 56 days. T1 = forage 80%: concentrate 20%, T2 = forage 60%: concentrate 40%, T3 = forage 40%: concentrate 60%, T4 = forage 20%: concentrate 80% and T5 = forage 50%: concentrate 50% served as the control. Data were collected for feed intake, weight gain, carcass quality and the economics of the diet. The growth performance result was significantly different (p<0.05) for all the parameters considered except for total feed intake. Treatment 3 (T3) had the highest value for final weight (1423.0 g), total weight gain (925.5g) and daily weight gain (16.52 g), with the least feed conversion ratio of (2.58) among others. The cut parts results showed that there was significant difference (p<0.05) for all the parameters considered. T3 also had the highest value for the prime parts. The organ weights results did not follow any specific pattern that could be attributed to the effect of the test ingredients. The economics /gross margin showed that T3 was favoured among others (N 731.38, N929.18, N1045.78, N828.81, N825.39),T3 (forage40%:concentrate60%) was therefore recommended.

Keywords: Effect, Forage :Concentrate ratios ,performance, weaner rabbits