Growth and Linear Body Developments of New Zealand White rabbit bucks fed diets supplemented with Azanza garckeana (Goron Tula) fruit meal

Ethno- and traditional medicine have inferred that Azanza garckeana plant products possessed varying phytochemicals and pharmacological properties capable of stimulating muscular growth and cellular development. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the direct and residual effects of Azanza garckeana fruit on the growth, linear body developments and carcass composition of New Zealand White rabbit bucks. Sixty New Zealand White rabbit bucks were randomly assigned to 4 treatments of 15 bucks, replicated three times in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets were formulated and supplemented with Azanza garckeana fruit meal at 0, 100, 200 and 300g/kg respectively, representing T , T , 1 2 T and T . The study was conducted in two experimental phases, the direct and the residual 3 4 phase. At the end of each experimental phase, data were collected on the growth, linear body parameters and on the carcass compositions. Results showed that the different supplementation levels of Azanza garckeana fruit up to 300g/kg on the direct phase improved the final weights (T 2276.67g to T 2446.67g), weight gain (T 1295.22g to T 1449.89g) and 1 4 1 4 the weights of the skin (T 237.00g to T 259.00g). It also increased the weight of the forelimb 1 4 (T1 199.33g to T4 258.33g), hindlimb (T1 255.33g to T4 292.67g), backcuts (T1 189.03g to T4 564.57g), the ear lengths (11.49cm in T to 13.52cm in T ), heart girts (26.04cm in T to 1 4 1 28.00cm in T ) and the body length (36.33cm in T to 38.66cm in T ). On the residual phase, the 4 1 4 different supplementation levels of Azanza garckeana fruit reduced the weight gain (T1 215.33g to T 54.65g), dressed weights (from 2110.42g in T to 1936.83g in T ) and dressed 4 1 4 percentages (84.69% in T to 77.44% in T ); but had no significant (P>0.05) effects on the 1 4 carcass parts and on the linear body development of the rabbit bucks. It is therefore, concluded that the different supplementation levels of Azanza garckeana fruit impacted favourably on the growth of the rabbit bucks, carcass development and on the linear body growth; but had no residual effects on the carcass parts and linear body growth of the rabbit bucks.