A study on nutrient intake, growth perfomance and economic return of crossbred rabbit (new zealand x local) supplemented cassava tube as a dietary energy source
This study aimed to evaluate potential benefits from supplementing Para grass with dried cassava chips in diets of growing rabbits. Sixty crossbred rabbits (local x New Zealand) with average initial live weight of 735±4.64g and 8 weeks of age were allocated in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 3 replications and were fed 5 levels of dried cassava chips (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 g/rabbit/day) as a energy supplement source to Para grass fed ad libitum. While soybean extraction meal and soybean waste were used to supply protein for adjustment of the same protein level of 11.5g/day/rabbit and Para grass was fed ad libitum. The results showed that enhancing the offer level of dried cassava chips (DC) from the 0 to 40 g DC (rabbit/day) in a basal diet of Para grass significantly (P<0.05) and gradually increased dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ether extraction (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and metabolizable energy (ME) intakes. The cassava supplementation also improved the growth and economic return. It was also found that there was a linear relationship between daily weight gain and DC supplementation with the function of y = 0.196x + 16.1 and R2 = 0.974. Dried cassava chip should be used to enhance the rabbit growth rate and profits for producers.
