Growth performance and economics of feeding growing rabbits with sweet orange by-products meal as alternative fibre source

Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the proximate composition and the feeding value of orange waste meal as an alternative fibre source in rabbits diets. The orange waste (residue after extracting the juice) was gathered from different clusters within Calabar municipal and divided into two batches: the waste meal in the first group was sundried, while those in the second group were separated into mesocarp (the white outer part) and endocarp (the pulp) and sundried until the moisture content of 10% was achieved. The sundried orange wastes were milled and stored in airtight containers prior to chemical analysis and feed formulation. Based on the crude protein content, four experimental diets were formulated: Diet 1 contained wheat offal as a control, while diets 2–4 contained the orange endocarp, mesocarp, and whole orange waste meals, respectively. Forty rabbits of mixed sexes at about five weeks old used for the experiment were weighed and randomly distributed into four groups of ten rabbits each. Each group was randomly assigned to one of the four (4) experimental diets and fed for 12 weeks in a completely randomized design. The result showed that utilizing orange waste meal as a replacement for wheat offal in rabbits diet significantly (P < 0.05) improved the average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake, and the feed conversion ratio. The costs of producing a kilogram of feed, the feed consumed by rabbits, and the cost per kilogram of weight gain were significantly (P< 0.05) reduced. It was therefore concluded that the orange waste meal could replace wheat offal in the growing rabbits' diet