Replacement Value Of African Yam Bean Meal For Soybean Meal In Weaner Rabbit Diets:- Unogu, Maureen C.

ABSTRACT

Twenty-four weaner rabbits of average initial weight of 650g were used to investigate the replacement value of African Yam bean meal in weaner rabbits' diet. They were randomly assigned to four treatment diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment had 3 replicates with each replicate having 2 rabbits. The rabbits were fed with the treatment diets containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% levels of raw AYB meal respectively. The experiment lasted for 56days. Feed intake, weight gain, final life weight decreased as the quantity of test ingredient increased while the feed conversion ratio increased. The values of the liver of the rabbits placed on the test diets were higher than the control diet and became significantly (P<0.05) different for diet 4. For serum chemistry, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference for all the parameters, except for globulin. The gross margin of the diets favoured diet 3 with N251.68 as opposed to N222.42, H231.00 and N176.42 for diets 1,2, and 4 respectively. Judging from statistically similar feed conversion ratio, appreciable organ weights, good serum chemistry and better gross margin, diet 3 is recommended.