Testicular Characteristics and Daily Sperm Production of Male Rabbits Placed on Varying Levels of Pawpaw Seed (Carica Papaya) Meal

In a 12 weeks feeding trial, forty weaned mixed breed buck rabbits with average weight of 691g were used to assess the testicular characteristics and daily sperm production of rabbit fed pawpaw seed meal. Pawpaw seed meal was included at 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% in the experimental diet. The animals were randomly and equally allotted to the diets and housed individually. At the end of the feeding trial 6 animals per treatment were sacrificed and their testes dissected. The testes were weighed and processed. Right testis volume, left testis volume, left testis density and relative testes weight were not significantly different (p>0.05). However, right testis weight, left testis weight, right testis density, paired testes weight and daily sperm production were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the treatment. The result showed that animals on 20%PSM compete favourably with the animals on control diet (0%PSM) in terms of right testis weight, left testis weight, right testis density and daily sperm production. This investigation suggests that inclusion of pawpaw seed meal up to 20% in rabbit diet had no deleterious effect on testicular and daily sperm production of rabbits.