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MEKARN Workshop 2009: Livestock, Climate Change and the Environment |
This study included two experiments to determine the effect of water hyacinth levels replacing para grass (Brachiaria mutica) in the diet on feed utilization, growth rate, carcass quality and profit from crossbred rabbits was carried out. Seventy two rabbits at 8 weeks of age were arranged in a complete randomized design with 6 treatments and 3 replications in a feeding trial. The treatments were water hyacinth (LB) replacement to para grass (DM basis) at the levels of 0 (WH0), 20 (WH20), 40 (WH40), 60 (WH60), 80 (WH80) and 100% (WH100). While in the digestibility trial, the similar experimental design was implemented rabbits at 14 weeks of age for evaluating nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention. Results of the study shown that daily weight gain was significantly different among the diets (P<0.001). It was 18.9, 19.3, 19.6, 19.0, 16.2 and 14.0 g/rabbit/day for the WH0, WH20, WH40, WH60, WH80 and WH100 diet, respectively. The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and nitrogen retention tended to increase proportionally to the increasing levels of water hyacinth replacement in diets up to 60%. The statistically significant differences were found in nitrogen retention (P<0.05). The carcass values and profit were improved by the treatments of LB40 and LB60. It concluded that WH could be used in the growing rabbit diets up to 80% in the diets, however, the optimum levels of WH in the diets recommended for farmers should be from 40 to 60% to utilize the WH source and to improve growing rabbit performance and income.