Comparative evaluation of effects of different sources of groundnut meals on digestibility, growth performance and economics of production of growing rabbits

Three groundnut meals namely: groundnut cake (GNC), locally processed groundnut cake (kulikuli) and toasted groundnut seed(kernel) meal (TGSM) were incorporated in rabbit diets at two levels to generate six diets: 18% GNC, 22% GNC, 18% Kulikuli, 22% Kulikuli, 18% TGSM and 22% TGSM respectively, and 18% GNC also served as the control diet. Twenty four (24) six weeks-old growing rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes with mean initial weight of 568.75±l2.85g were randomly allocated to the six dietary treatment groups, such that each had four rabbits and each rabbit formed a replicate in a completely randomized design laid out in a 2X3 factorial arrangement and fed ad libitum, for 70 days. The main effects showed that while the treatment groups fed TGSM were significantly depressed (p 0.05) for average daily feed intake, daily body weight gain and final body weight. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not significantly (p >0.05) affected among treatment groups. Rabbits fed TGSM had significantly (p 0.05) affected. Among all the parameters measured, only fat and fibre digestibility coefficients had significant (p 0.05) among the treatment groups. Growth was still on the rise and there was a significantly (P<0.01) strong relationship (correlation and regression) between feed intake and weight gain for all the treatment groups. was concluded that both kulikuli and TGSM are potential feed resources for rabbits, more available to house hold farmers, equally economical as GNC and better still if groundnut farmers and or processors of kulikuli raise rabbits, though TGSM had less value for growth rate compared to GNC and Kulikuli at these levels of inclusion