GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF MALE AND FEMALE RABBITS FED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH TURMERIC (Curcuma Longa) POWDER

Abstract

Sixty four (7-8 weeks old) crossbred male and female rabbits that weighed between 600 and 800g were used to determine the effect of inclusion of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder on growth and economic benefits of male and female rabbits. The rabbits are on sex (male and female) basis and four inclusion levels (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) of turmeric were randomly allotted in a 2x4 factorial arrangement. Data were collected on growth performance and analysed using ANOVA. Significant (p<0.05) differences were obtained on weight gain and daily. Highest (p<0.05) total weight gain (785.13g) was obtained with buck fed diet that contained 1.0% turmeric inclusion while doe fed with diet containing 0.5% turmeric inclusion had least (442.25g). Feed intake was (P<0.05) highest (116.13g) with doe fed diet containing 1.5% turmeric inclusion and least (96.62g) and similar (P>0.0%) among buck and doe fed diet with 0.5% turmeric inclusion. Cost of, ‘feed per 25kg and kilogram diets were significant (P<0.05) with turmeric inclusion. Turmeric inclusion at 1.5% was highest (N2363.50) in both buck and doe while the least (N2100) was at 0% in both buck and doe. Highest (P<0.05) cost per daily feed intake (N10.98) was obtained among doe fed supplemented turmeric at 1.5% with turmeric inclusion and buck (N10.53) but lowest (N8.79) was recorded with doe on 0.5% turmeric inclusion. The study concluded that turmeric inclusion had no detrimental effect of growth performance of male and female rabbits. However, 0.5% inclusion could be assumed as economic inclusion level for efficient feed utilization, least cost diet formulation and optimum profit in male and female rabbit production enterprise