UTILIZATION OF COWPEA SHELL AND MAIZE COBS IN DIETS FOR RABBITS

Abstract

Thirty-two Dutch rabbits of both sexes with an average initial live weight of 1040g 1.5 were fed diets containing cowpea shell (CPS) and maize cobs (MC) at 20% and 40% levels to determine the effect of test ingredients and level of inclusion on performance and nutrient utilization in rabbits. The feeding trial lasted for five weeks. The dry matter intake (DM), Acid Detergent Fiber Digestibility (ADF), daily weight gain (DWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (PC 0.0.5) affected by type X level in the diet of rabbits while maize cobs gave satisfactory performance at the 20% inclusion level.