THE EFFECT OF FEEDING GRADED LEVELS OF CASSAVA LEAF MEAL ON HAEMATOLOGY RABBIT DOES IN A SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA ENVIRONMENT OF NIGERIA

Résumé

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding graded levels of cassava leaf meal (CLM) on haematology of rabbit does. A total of 20 rabbits at 28 weeks old, weighing between 1602- 1678g were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a trial that lasted for nine (9) weeks. The four diets were designated T, (control), T2, T3 and T, with cassava leaf meal inclusion of 0%, 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively. Each rabbit serves as a replicate in a completely randomized design. The results showed that cassava leaf meal had no significant effect (p>0.05) Haemoglobin (Hb) Red blood cells, White blood cells and Leucocyte differential counts. Significant effect of diet was observed on packed cell volume (PCV). Haematological values obtained were comparable to the normal range for rabbits. It was therefore concluded that the inclusion of up to 30% of cassava leaf meal in the diet of rabbit does would guarantee good health. It is recommended that further study on the feeding potential of cassava leaf meal at higher levels of inclusion be investigated.