Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Rabbit Fed Graded Levels of Cassia tora Seed Meal

Abstract

Aims: A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying levels of Cassia tora on the performance of rabbits. Study Design: Mention the design of the study here. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, the experiment last for three months between the months of March to June. Methodology: The experiment was set in a completely randomized design (CRD) with level of Cassia tora as treatments. The animals were fed diets containing 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% inclusion levels of C. tora in a completely randomised design replicated six times. Data were collected for 12 consecutive weeks on feed intake and live weight gain. Results: Growth performance of the rabbits were not significant across the treatments, except for the final body weight and average daily gain being higher in treatment 4 compare to other treatments. Carcass evaluation shows significant difference in dressing percentage, weight of kidney and small intestine. Conclusion: It was concluded that up to 7.5% of C. tora can be incorporated in the diet of rabbits without any deleterious effect on the performance of rabbits.