Growth Performance of Rabbits Fed with Madre De Agua (Trichanthera Gigantea) Leaves and Ornamental Peanut (Arachis Pintoi) Plant

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at BSU Rabbit Experimental Area, Balili, La Trinidad, Benguet from August 2013 to November 2013. This study aimed to determine the growth performance of rabbits fed with to- galinzoga, T1- madre de agua leaves, and T2- ornamental peanut; and determine the profitability of raising rabbits given these feedstuffs. Twenty-one heads of 60 days old New Zealand Rabbits were given the experimental rations in 64 days. The rabbits were distributed into three dietary treatments with 7 replicates each, following the Completely Randomized Designed. The treatments were as follows: galinzoga, madre de agua leaves and ornamental peanut. Statistical analysis revealed that there were highly significant differences on feed intake and feed conversion ratio on dry matter and as fed basis. In terms of feed conversion ratio, as fed basis, the rabbits fed with galinzoga had the best feed conversion ratio of 37.063, followed by rabbits fed with ornamental peanut and madre de agua leaves with means of 41.887 and 46.010 respectively. Statistical analysis also revealed highly significant differences in feed conversion ratio, dry matter basis, of the rabbits across the treatments. Rabbits fed with galinzoga had the best feed conversion ratio, dry matter basis of 5.682 followed by rabbits fed with ornamental peanut and madre de agua leaves with means of 11.124 and 12.064, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that there were no significant differences among treatment means in terms of initial weight and final weight. This implies that experimental rabbits in all treatments were more or less of the same weights at the start and final feeding trial. The growth performance of experimental rabbits among treatments in terms of gain in weight and average daily gain in weight was not significantly different. Experimental rabbits had the average daily gain in weight of 0.018kg for 64 days and average final weight of 1.924kg.