PERFORMANCE, DIGESTIBILITY AND COST BENEFITS OF WEANER RABBITS FED DIETARY LEVELS OF MAIZE MILLING RESIDUE

A nine-weeks study was conducted to evaluated the growth performance and cost benefits of weaner rabbits fed dietary levels of maize milling residue (MMR). Forty (40) mixed breeds of both sexes, aged between 8 and 10 weeks having an initial weight of 759 - 771g each, were allotted to four experimental diets in replicates of ten containing one rabbit each in a complete randomise design. The diets contained maize milling residue at 0, 30, 35 and 40% levels, coded as T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Data was collected on performance, digestibility and cost benefit. Except for feed conversion ratio, no significant (P<0.05) effect of diet was observed on performance indices. Feed conversion ratio was best (P<0.05) on T3 (4.66). followed by T5 (5.15) and T2 (5.85) which were the same, then T1 (6.03). daily feed intake ranged between 60.68g on T4 and 65.00g on T2, daily weight gain was from 10.44g (T1) to 11.83g (T3) while final weight ranged between 1292.50g and 1430.00g on T3 and T4 respectively. Nutrient digestibility revealed higher (P<0.05) mean values for crude protein on T3 (80.46%) and T4 (79.84%) than on T1 (79.25%) and T2 (79.29%). Feed cost/kg reduced linearly from N190.01 (T1) -  N135.00 (T4)) with increased dietary MMR. Feed cost per kg gain also decreased with increased level of dietary MMR. Diet T4 (N750.25) had the lowest value. It was therefore concluded that inclusion of up to 40% MMR in weaner rabbit diets reduced feed cost without compromising growth performance.