SEX HORMONES AND FERTILITY OF RABBIT DOES FED PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS LEAF MEAL AS FEED SUPPLEMEN

Abstract

The reproductive hormones and fertility status of female rabbits (does) fed diets supplemented with Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal (PALM) were assessed in this study. In a 16 week feeding trial, forty rabbits were randomly allotted to standard rabbit diets (pelletized) with 0, 2, 4, and 6 % of PALM inclusion as PALM 1, PALM 2, PALM 3 and PALM 4, respectively. At the eighth and 12th weeks of the feeding trial, blood was sampled and assayed for serum steroids using standard procedure. After the 12th week, fourteen fertile adult bucks (not exposed to PALM) were introduced to service the does in a completely randomised design at ratio 1:3 (buck: does) in the early hours of the day (06:00 – 08:00 hr) without repeated mating. At kindling; gestation length, litter size, litter weight, gestation weight changes were also observed. The result obtained revealed that estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormones of virgin does were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by PALM based diets. Does fed PALM had larger litter size and litter weight than does fed the control diet.
Progesterone and follicle-stimulating hormones of gestating does were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by PALM inclusion. The study concluded that including up to 6% leaf meal of Phyllanthus amarus in rabbit diets will enhance litter performance of rabbits does.