EFFECT OF DIETARY SUBSTITUTION OF BREWER'S DRIED GRAINS WITH TREATED RICE THRESHING WASTE MEAL ON PERFORMANCE OF WEANER RABBITS

Abstract

Scarcity and high cost of conventional animal feed ingredients has resulted to soaring cost of meat. This situation calls for exploration into ways of harnessing agro waste products so as to fit into animal feeding. This study therefore, investigated the effect of substituting Brewer's Dried Grain (BDG) with 2%NaOH treated Rice Threshing Waste meal (TRTWM) on the performance of weaned rabbits. The TRTW was used to formulate four treatment diets such that the control (T1) contained no TRTW while in T2, T3 and T4, TRTW replaced BDG at 33.33%, 66.67%, and 100% rates respectively. The diets were assigned to 24 weaned rabbits of 8 weeks old in a complete randomized design. Data were collected on weight gain and feed intake within a period of 12 weeks. The proximate analysis of TRTWM and untreated one showed that the treatment caused a reduction in the crude protein, crude fibre and crude fat while the ash content of the untreated increased. The rabbits in all the treatment groups gained weight at equal pace (P>0.05) while the rabbits in the control group consumed less feed (P<0.05) than those in which TRTW substituted BDG in their diets. Feed conversion ratio of the rabbits in the control group was however similar (P>0.05) with rabbits in T2 and T3 groups but significantly better than those in T4 group. It was concluded that 2%NaOH treatment can impact on nutrients and that TRTW can be used to substitute BDG in rabbit diet at up to 66.67% rate.