Effect of dietary inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala or Moringa oleifera leaf meal on performance of growing rabbits.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of including either Leucaena leucocephala (LLM) or Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) as tropical feed resources at two levels (30 or 40 %) on growth performance, carcass traits, and economical efficiency of growing rabbits. A total of 60 California growing rabbits were randomly distributed into five experimental groups, each consisting of 12 rabbits and were allocated individually; the groups were control, 30 % LLM, 40 % LLM, 30 % MOLM, and 40 % MOLM. The experimental period lasted from 6 to 12 weeks of age. The results showed that rabbits fed control and 30 % MOLM diets had significantly the highest final body weight and daily weight gain being 2,040 and 2,000 g and 31.6 and 30.6 g/day, respectively. Similarly, the best feed conversion ratio was associated with 30 % MOLM and control groups (3.2 and 3.4), while the worst value was for 40 % LLM group (5.2). MOLM treatments recorded significantly the highest dressing percentage along with control group. The inclusion of MOLM by 30 and 40 % improved the economical efficiency (2 and 1.5) in comparison with the control group (1.1). The results suggest that MOLM can be included in growing rabbit diets up to 40 % without any adverse effect on growth performance or carcass traits with higher economical efficiency of growing rabbits.

Comportamiento productivo de conejos alimentados con dietas basadas en follajes tropicales / Perfomance traits of rabbits fed tropical foliage based diets

Se estudió la inclusión de follaje de leucaena (Leucaena leuco-cephala), naranjillo (Trichanchera gigantea) y morera (Morus alba) en proporciones de 10; 20 y 30 por ciento en dietas balanceadas granuladas para conejos. Se distribuyeron en alojamientos individuales 80 conejos Nueva Zelanda × California en etapa de engorde (1124,1 ± 289,7 g de peso vivo) en 10 tratamientos siguiendo un diseño completamente aleatrorizado con arreglo factorial 3 × 3, los factores estuvieron representados por el tipo de forraje y los niveles de inclusión. Adicionalmente, se formuló una dieta testigo que no contenía follaje de prueba, la cual se comparó con los tratamientos dietéticos. La ganancia diaria de peso fue superior (P<0,05) en los animales que recibieron dietas con follaje de leucaena (29,49 ± 6,10) y morera (26,00 ± 6,20), con respecto a naranjillo (21,85 ± 5,62 g/conejo); de manera similar, la conversión alimenticia y la relación beneficio costo de alimentación, fueron mejores (P<0,01) en los animales que recibieron las dietas con leucaena y morera en comparación con los que consumieron la dieta con naranjillo (4,45 ± 1,41; 5,01 ± 1,57 y 5,97 ± 1,74; y 3,28; 2,82 y 2,63 bolívares, respectivamente). El nivel de inclusión y la interacción entre factores no afectaron (P>0,05) las variables estudiadas. En los conejos que recibieron la dieta testigo se observaron valores de 4,21 ± 0,94 para conversión alimenticia y 2,76 ± 0,59 bolívares (Bs) en la relación beneficio costo, los cuales fueron similares (P>0,05) a los encontrados en los demás tratamientos, aunque el crecimiento (31,78 ± 4,54 g/conejo/día) fue mayor (P<0,05) en la dieta testigo. Estos resultados permiten sugerir la incorporación hasta 30 por ciento de estos recursos en dietas balanceadas para conejos de engorde.

The inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala, Trichanchera gigantea and Morus alba foliage in pelleted rabbits diets in proportions of 10, 20 and 30 percent was studied. Eighty New Zealand × California rabbits (1124.1 ± 289.7 g of live weight) were individually allocated in 10 treatments according with a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement 3 × 3, the factors were the forages and the inclusion levels. Additionally, a control diet was formulated that didn’t contain test foliage, which was compared with the dietary treatments. The average dailygain was higher (P<0.01) in the animals that received diets with L. leucocephala (29.49) and M. alba (26.00) foliage, with regard to T. gigantea (21.85 g/rabbit). Similarly the feed conversionand the relationship benefit feeding cost was higher (P<0.01) in the animals that received L. leucocephala and M. alba with regard to T. gigantea (4.75, 5.34 and 6.30, and 3.28, 2.82 and 2.63 Bs, respectively). The inclusion level and the interaction didn’t affect (P>0.05) the studied variables. The rabbits that received the control diet showed 4.21 in feed conversion and 2.76 Bs in the relationship benefit feeding cost, and there were similar (P>0.05) with regard to other treatments; although the average daily gain (31.78 g/rabbit) was higher with the control diet. These results allow to suggest the incorporation until 30 percent of this forages in fattening rabbits diets.

Estudios de procesos digestivos en conejos de engorde alimentados con dietas basadas en follajes tropicales: gigestabilidad fecal / Studies on digestive processes in fattening rabbitts given tropical foliage based diets: faecal digestibility

Se determinó la digestabilidad fecal de nutrientes de cinco follajes tropicales en 72 conejos Nueva Zelandia x Califormia de 45 días de edad, mediante el método de colección total de heces. Los follajes fueron de leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala), naranjillo (Trichanthera gigantea), morena (Morus alba), maní forrajero (Arachis pintoi) o batata (Ipomoea batatas). La digestabilidad de la materia orgánica (45,41; 37.38; 60,51; 48,25 y 37,58 por ciento), contenido de energía digestible (2092, 1860, 2378, 1981 y 1388 kcal/kg de dieta) y proteína digestible (14,97; 12,49; 12,79; 13,90 y 6,74 g/kg) para L. leucocephala, T. gigantea, M. alba, A. pintoi e I. batatas se encontraron los valores más altos y más bajos de digestabilidad fecal de nutrientes. El contenido de energía digestible y proteína digestible, así como la digestabilidad de nutrientes considerados en follaje de L. leucocephala, T. gigantea, M. alba y A. pintoi permiten sugerir que presentan un interesante potencial nutritivo y constituyen ingredientes utilizables en la formulación de dietas para conejos.

Faecal nutrient digestibility of five tropical foliages was determined in 72 New Zealand x California fattening rabbits of 45 days old fed diets containing forage from either Leucaena leucocephala, Trichanthera gigantea, Morus alba, Arachis pintoi or Ipomoea batatas. Nutrient digestibility indices were determined by a direct method (total collection). There were differences (P<0.01) for the organic matter digestibility (45.41, 37.38, 60.51, 48.25 and 37.58%), content of digestible energy (2092, 1860, 2378, 1981 and 1388 kcal/kg) and digestible protein (14.97, 12.49, 12.79, 13.90 and 6.74 g/kg) for L. leucocephala, T. gigantea, M. alba, A. pintoi and I. batatas, respectively. Overall, diets containing mulberry foliage or sweet potato forage determined the highest and lowest values for faecal digestibility, respectively. The content of energy digestible and protein digestible, and the digestibility of nutriments in L. leucocephala, T. gigantea, M. alba and A. pintoi foliage allow to suggest that they present an interesting nutritious potential and constitute usable ingredients in rabbits diets formulation.