WEIGHT GAIN, THERMOREGULATORY RESPONSE AND BLOOD INDICES OF MALE RABBITS FED DIETS WITH Vernonia amygdalina LEAF MEAL
Plants with bio-nutrients that can support performance and normal health can be adopted as a feed resource for animals. This study assessed the effect of Vernonia amygdalina Leaf Meal (VLM) on weight gain, thermoregulatory response and blood indices of male rabbits. Dried Vernonia amygdalina leaves...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Online |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| Publicado: |
The Faculty of Agriculture Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Acceso en liña: | https://ija.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ija/article/view/729 |
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| Summary: | Plants with bio-nutrients that can support performance and normal health can be adopted as a feed resource for animals. This study assessed the effect of Vernonia amygdalina Leaf Meal (VLM) on weight gain, thermoregulatory response and blood indices of male rabbits. Dried Vernonia amygdalina leaves was used as a feed resource at 0, 5, 10 and 15 % levels with other feed ingredients to formulate four experimental diets and designated as VLM0, VLM5, VLM10 and VLM15 respectively. Forty heterogeneous male rabbits with an average weight of 1.8kg were allotted to four groups (10 bucks per group) and fed the diets for 84 days. Weight gain, morphometric traits, heart rate, rectal temperature, serum cholesterol, glucose, haematology and organ indices of rabbit bucks were evaluated using standard procedures. All data recorded were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. The statistical significance was established at P<0.05. Average daily weight gain and feed intake increased (p<0.05) in rabbit bucks fed the VLM10 diet. Weight gain in bucks fed VLM 15 was significantly (p>0.05) lower than that of bucks fed VLM0 and VLM10. All the rabbits had similar heart rates and rectal temperatures among the groups. Among the morphometric traits assessed body length decreased significantly as VLM increased in the diets. Cholesterol, glucose and platelet count were higher (P<0.05) in rabbits fed the diet without VLM (VLM0). Alanine Aminotransferase and Aspartate Aminotransferase levels increased significantly (P<0.05) by 41% and 51% in rabbits fed the VLM15 diet compared to the VLM0 group. Organ weights were similar among the rabbits, this showed a relatively non-toxic effect of VLM on organ size in the bucks. Vernonia amygdalina leaf meal as a feed ingredient of up to 10% can be adopted as a component of male rabbits’ diet without deleterious effects on their overall performance. |
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