CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWING RABBITS FED GRADED LEVELS OF TIGER NUT (CYPERUS ESCULENTUS) IN PLACE OF WHEAT OFFAL

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of using Tiger nut waste (TNW) to replace wheat offal as a fibre source in growing rabbit’s diets. Thirty unsexed growing rabbits weighing about 930-980g and 6-7 weeks old were arranged into five dietary treatments on weight equalization basis. The experimental diet had wheat offal replaced at 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60% levels with tiger nut waste (TNW) regarded as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. The rabbits were fed the experimental diets for 10 weeks ad-libitum while cool clean water was offered liberally throughout the period. Two rabbits were used per replicate and each treatment had three replicates. They were housed in fifteen disinfected hutches for the experiment. At the end of the trial, a rabbit per replicate was severed and fasted for 12 hours before being sacrificed through severance at the jugular following the standard applicable at the Yaba College of Technology Teaching and Research Farm. They were used to estimate the carcass parameters. The result shows that the dressing percentages, final weights and the slaughtered weights were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by the dietary treatment. Meanwhile, the dietary treatment significantly influenced (p<0.05) the kidney, although the level did not constitute any threat to the rabbits. The liver was, however, statistically similar across the treatments. It was concluded that rabbit’s diets can be incorporated with up to 60% TNW replacement of wheat offal for better dressing percentage and higher live weight and it is hereby recommended.