Replacement value of rumen liquor fermented cassava peels for maize in growing rabbit diet

Resumen

The nutritive potential of rumen liquor fermented cassava peels (RLFCP) was assessed in rabbit nutrition in an 8 weeks trial. The freshly collected droppings from layers were sundried, ground and mixed at 100 g/kg with ground cassava peels, sprayed with rumen filtrate and fermented for 144 hours. Thereafter, one basal diet was formulated to meet the nutrient requirement of a growing rabbit. The maize content (43 g/100 g) of the basal diet was replaced at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % with RLFCP and named as diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. One hundred and fifty mixed sexes healthy 5-weeks old crossbred weaner rabbits were randomly distributed among the five dietary treatments at a rate of 30 rabbits per treatment. The response criteria were growth indices, cost benefit, carcass and organ weight, blood and serum indices. While the average daily feed intake increased (49.27-58.00 g/rabbit/day) with an increased RLFCP inclusion, the average daily weight gain only increased (12.38-17.75 g/rabbit per day) when the increased RLFCP inclusion reached up to a 50 %. The feed conversion ratio of rabbits fed on the control and those fed on 25 % and 50 % RLFCP was similar (3.03-3.20) (p>0.05). Only the slaughtered weight (1116.50-1416.16 g), dressed weight (477.65-695.85 g), dressing % (42.77-50.14), relative weight (% slaughter weight) of the liver (2.18-2.57) and heart (0.20-0.23) were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments. From all the haematological parameters considered; only the packed cell volume (PCV) (35.67-37.15 %), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (32.65-34.05 g/dl) and platelets (275.50-452.00 109/l) were significant (p<0.05) while serum glutamic oxalo acetic transaminase (SGOT) (67.57-113.10 µl), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) (97.43-152.50 µl), amylase (463.50-699.00 µl) and glucose (53.60-100.50 mg/dl) of the serum metabolites measured were significant (p<0.05). The replacement of maize in growing rabbit diet with RLFCP appeared not to compromise the health status of the rabbits and its inclusion at a 50 % of maize reduced cost of feeding by 20 % and promoted better growth performance indicators than the control diet of the RLFCP-based diets.