CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS, INTERNAL ORGAN WEIGHTS AND ABDOMINAL FAT OF GROWING RABBITS FED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH SQUEEZED LIME FRUIT JUICE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTICS

Abstract

High level of production, least cost feed and efficient feed conversion are the needs of the modern rabbit production and this to a certain extent could be achieved by the use of specific feed additives. Therefore, this study evaluated carcass characteristics and internal organ weights of growing rabbits fed diets Supplemented with squeezed lime fruit juice (SLFJ) as an alternative to antibiotics. The experiment was conducted with thirty apparently healthy mixed breed growing male rabbits with an average age of 11 weeks old. The rabbits were assigned to 6 dietary treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6) in a completely randomised design. A basal diet was formulated to contain ME 2515.93 kcal/kg and CP 16.00% to which were added 0, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 ml of SLFJ per 100kg representing treatments T1 – T5 respectively while 55 g/100kg Oxytetracycline (Oxyt) was added to the basal diet as recommended by the manufacturer to form T6. The treatments T1 and T6 served as negative and positive controls, respectively. Five growing rabbits were assigned to each dietary treatment and each rabbit served as a replicate. The rabbits were housed individually in galvanized wire cages of 60 x 60 x 40 cm in a well-ventilated building. The rabbits were treated for parasites before the commencement of the trial. Data generated in the study were subjected to analysis of variance using General Linear Model procedure of the SAS software package. Significant differences between treatment means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test of the same SAS. Dressed weight was significantly (P<0.05) lower at 2000 ml while all others were similar. Dressing percentage was significantly (P<0.05) higher at 0.0 and 1000 ml while others were similar. Abdominal fat was significantly higher at 0.0 ml and Oxyt while others were similar. It was concluded that rabbits could tolerate dietary SLFJ up to 1500 ml/100kg without adversely affecting carcass yield. The study therefore recommended that 1000 ml/100kg SLFJ could be used in diets for growing rabbits to produce leaner carcass.