EFFECT OF UREA TREATMENT ON THE UTILIZATION OF COCOA-POD HUSK IN RABBIT DIETS

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of urea treatment on the utilization of cocoa pod husk (CPH) in rabbit diets.
Five isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets containing Ogkg (control), 100g/kg or 3OOgkg urea treated and 100gAcg or 300g/kg untreated CPH were formulated and fed to growing rabbits. Results indicated that mean body weight gains of rabbits fed 100gkg treated
CPH were higher than those fed the other diets except those on 300gkg untreated CPH. The values of feed intake, feed efficiency ratia and weight gain per protein intake followed the same trend although the differences were not significant. The mean values of digesibilities of dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash and nitrogen free extract did not vary significantly with the dietary treatments.
It was concluded that rabbits can tolerate up to 3OOgkg of untreated CPH in their diets. Treatment of CPH with urea at lOOg/kg yielded best results.