Reproductive Performance of Doe Rabbits on Varying Levels of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Extract Under Two Housing Types

Abstract

A total of 48 rabbits consisting of 32, 5½ months old does and 16, 5½ months old bucks of mixed breeds were used for this study. The rabbits were allotted into two different housing types of steel and wooden hutches composed of four varying levels of oral administration of Oyster mushroom extract. Four Does were assigned to each treatment group and each doe served as a replicate. The varying levels of Oyster mushroom extract were 0, 5, 10 and 15 ml per litre of fresh drinking water. The administration of Oyster mushroom extract levels started on the day at which the Does were mated till when the kits from the Does were weaned (at 6 weeks old).Data were collected at kindling and during pre-weaning stage of the lactating does and kits. The experiment layout was a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement and the data obtained were subjected to a Completely Randomized Design. Significant (p<0.05) differences were obtained on weight of doe at kindling and weight of doe at weaning from the female rabbits on varying levels of mushroom extract. The rabbit does on 10 ml of mushroom extract per litre of drinking water had the highest value for weight of doe at kindling (2331.30 g) and weight of doe at weaning (2275.00 g). The oral administration of oyster mushroom extract at 10 ml per litre of drinking water can improve on the weight of Does during gestation and pre-weaning of kits.