EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF MORINGA (MORINGA OLEIFERA) LEAF MEAL SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE GROWTH AND LINEAR BODY MEASUREMENT OF GROWER RABBITS.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2024.1004.17.419Keywords:
Leaf meal;, Growth;, Rabbits;, Linear body measurementAbstract
This study was carried out to assess the effect of moringa leaf meal supplementation on the growth and linear body measurement of grower rabbits. Twenty (20) grower rabbits were randomly distributed to four treatments groups in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated five times with one rabbit per replicate and were fed on diets containing moringa leaf meal at 0.00%, 8.00, 16.00 and 24.00% respectively. Sample of the moringa leaves was analyzed for proximate and Phytochemical composition respectively. Growth parameters such as initial weight, final weight were measured, weight gain, The linear body measurement was also recorded. The results of proximate composition of the moringa leaf meal (MLM) showed that it contained 26.62% of Crude protein,7.20% of Crude Fiber,5.65% of Ether extract,7.50% of Ash and 53.03% of NFE. The result of Phytochemical analysis showed that MLM contained 3.29mg/100g of tannin,6.40 mg/100g of flavonoid,4.25 mg/100g of alkaloid,3.75 mg/100g of saponin and 3.23 mg/100g of oxalate. Weight gain and feed intake were not significantly (p>0.05) different across the dietary treatment groups. However, final weight was significantly (p<0.05) higher for the rabbits on the MLM diets. The results of the linear body measurement showed a positive and significant correlation between the final body weight and body length with a coefficient of 0.22 and 0.21 respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that moringa leaf meal is rich in vital nutrients and has the potential of sustaining growth, hence 24% inclusion of moringa leaf meal in the diets of grower rabbit is safe.
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