PERFORMANCE OF GROWER RABBITS FED GRADED LEVELS OF SUNDRIED BREADFRUIT (Artocarpus altilis) PEEL MEAL IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA

A total of thirty rabbits of mixed breeds and mixed sexes with an average initial weight of 0.8kg were used to evaluate the effect of varying inclusion levels of sundried breadfruit peel meal on growth performance, carcass attributes and economics of production of rabbits. The feeding trial which lasted for eight weeks was performed using the thirty rabbits which were divided into five experimental groups having six replicates per treatment in a completely randomized design. Five experimental diets were formulated such that sundried breadfruit meal replaced maize at 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60% levels for diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. The parameters measured were feed intake and weight gain; Feed Conversion Ratio; carcass and offal attributes and economics of production. The results showed that maize replaced with breadfruit meal in diets of grower rabbits had no effect (P>0.05) on growth performance of the tested animals. No significant difference (P>0.05) was recorded in the feed intake (89.49-91.10g), weight gain (15.65-17.52g), feed conversion ratio. Also, weights of rabbit primal cuts and offals were not influenced (P>0.05) by the inclusion of breadfruit peel meal in rabbit diet. Replacing maize with sundried breadfruit peel meal in rabbit diet significantly (P< 0.05) reduced the cost of feed consumed and cost of rabbit meat produced. In conclusion, maize could be replaced with sundried breadfruit meal in rabbit diet up to 60% inclusion level.