Performance of Rabbits on Graded Dietary Levels of Roasted Leucaena leucocephala Seed Meal

Abstract

Awosanya, B., Joseph, K.J. and Sowunmi, S.O. 1996. Performance of rabbits on graded dietary levels of roasted Leucaena leucocephala seed meal. J. Appl. Anim., Res., 9: 135–139.

As an alternate vegetable protein source, roasted (110 C, 15 m) seeds of L. leucocephala were incorporated in the growing rabbits ration at 0, 10, 20 or 30% level. 8 weaner rabbits, housed individually, were fed on each diet for 8 weeks and then slaughtered. Average daily liveweight gains of 11.30, 11.50, 6.50 and −0.50±0.07g were recorded for rabbits on the 4 diets, respectively. Growth rate, feed consumption, carcass yield, yield of primal cuts were all adversely affected by inclusion of RLS at 20 or 30% level, while rabbits on 10% level behaved as well as those on control ration. It is concluded that roasted leucaena seeds can be included in rabbit diets upto 10% level without any deleterious effect.

Key words:

• Rabbits
• roasted leucaena seeds
• performance
• carcass evaluation