Effect of altering crude protein levels in rabbit diets on performance and environmental anthropogenic propensity

Abstract

Substantial portion of gases responsible for both natural and human made environmental hazards are from wastes emanating from livestock production units. Efforts have been made by animal nutritionists towards developing feeding regimes that will sustainably limit the release of nitrous oxides. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of decreasing dietary crude protein levels with same amino acid profile in growing rabbits on performance and environmental impact. Twenty four weaned male rabbits, 40 days old were randomly allotted to diets containing optimum crude protein (CP) (T1), 1% CP reduction (T2), 2 % CP reduction (T3) and 3% CP reduction (T4) in a completely randomized design for fifty six days feeding trial. Feed intake and mortality rate were not significantly different with changes in crude protein levels. However, live weight gain and feed:gain were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments as they increase from 8%, 16%, 18% and 19% for rabbits on diets T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, and 7%, 9%, 12%, 15% for diets T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Percentage faecal nitrogen significantly (P<0.05) decreased in rabbits on diet with 3 % crude protein reduction level (T4), from 44% in control diet (T1) to 15% (T4). Similarly, anthropogenic propensity of nitrous oxide was least in rabbits fed 3% CP reduction diets and decreased by 48% when compared with the control (15%). Thus, low dietary crude protein diets especially, 3% reduction can mitigate and guarantee sustainable reduction in most oxides released during livestock production that promote environmental hazards without affecting animal performance. However, its adoption requires a multifaceted approach.

.