REPLACEMENT VALUE OF BOILED AND FERMENTED SORREL (HIBISCU SABDARIFFA) SEED MEAL FOR SOYA BEAN MEAL ON THE CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWING RABBITS

Abstract

A ten-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of replacing full-fat soya bean meal (FFSBM) with boiled and fermented sorrel seed meal (BFSSM) on the carcass characteristics of growing rabbits. Thirty cross-bred rabbits (New Zealand White X Dutch) between six and seven weeks of age with average initial body weight of 489.80 g were caged individually and allotted to five (5) dietary treatments. Each treatment was divided into three replicates of two rabbits. The rabbits were given diets and clean drinking water ad libitum throughout the period of the experiment. In diets 1 (control), 2, 3, 4 and 5 BFSSM replaced FFSBM at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%, respectively. The carcass characteristics were carefully measured. The slaughter weight, dressed weight, and dressing percentage were better in the T1 (control) and T3 (50% BFSSM) than the other treatments. The rack, loin, skin, feet, heart, liver, kidney, and abdominal fat were not affected (P>0.05) by inclusion of the test material in the diets while slaughter weight, dressed weight, dressing percentage, shoulder, thighs, head, tail, lungs, caecum, large intestine, small intestine and stomach were affected (P<0.05) by the inclusion of test material in the diets. The weight of shoulder and thighs in T1, T3 and T5 were heavier than T2 and T4. However, there were no significant (P> 0.05) differences among treatment groups in racks and loins. It was therefore concluded that, 50% of the full-fat soya bean in rabbit diets could be replaced with boiled and fermented sorrel seed meal without deleterious effect on carcass characteristics.