Article info.

ABSTRACT

Received date: 10/04/2016

Accepted date: 30/03/2017

Sixty Californian rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) at 45 days of age (470±7.93 g) were arranged in a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. Four rabbits (2 males and 2 females) were in one experimental unit. Five treatments were protein sources including the meals of soybean extraction, water spinach leaves, fish, feather and blood corresponding to Soybean Extraction Meal; Water spinach Leaves Meal; Fish Meal; Feather Meal and Blood Meal treatments, respectively. Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) and Centrocema pubescens were a basic diet for rabbits. The dietary crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) were formulated at the level of 19.0% and 11.6 MJ/kgDM in the different treatments. The apparent nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention were observed when rabbits being at 12 weeks of age. The results showed that dry matter and CP intakes were significantly higher (P<0.05) for the SEM and WLM treatments than other treatments. The daily weight gain was significantly different (P<0.05) among treatments with the highest value for the SEM treatment (22.8g/day) and the lowest value for the FEM treatment (14.9g/day). The carcass weight and percentage of SEM and WLM were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the FEM and BM, while the higher profit was for the WLM and SEM (3.07 and 2.63 USD/rabbit), respectively. The nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention were improved for the SEM and WLM treatments. It could be concluded that crude protein sources from soybean extraction and water spinach leaf meal could be used to feed growing Californian rabbits for improving feed and nutrient utilization, growth rate and economic returns.

Keywords

Californian rabbits, digestible nutrients, meat production, plant protein

Cited as: Trung, T. T., Dong, N. T. K., Thu, N. V., 2017. Effect of different protein sources in the diets on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth and carcass value of californian rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Mekong delta of Vietnam. Can Tho University Journal of Science. Vol 5: 158-165.