| Summary: | Animal Performance of Rabbits Receiving Granulated Feed Based on Pueraria phaseoloides. A study was conducted on 72 rabbits of local breed of Benin, weaned at 35 days, to evaluate animal performance with feed containing Pueraria phaseoloides (Pueraria). Feed composition was 167 ± 0.26, 142 ± 0.04 and 143 ± 0.1 g of crude protein and 112 ± 0.29, 148 ± 0.24 and 181 ± 0.59 g of crud fibre per kg of DM, respectively, for feed without Pueraria (R0), feed with 20% Pueraria (R20) and feed with 40% Pueraria (R40). In rainy season, per rabbit and per day, feed consumption was 79.9 ± 4.2; 75.7 ± 2.2 and 74.1 ± 1.6 g respectively for R0, R20 and R40. In dry season, feed consumption was 80.6 ± 4.7; 76.2 ± 2.4 and 75.5 ± 1.4 g. They presented no significant difference at 5%. The average weight at the end of the study was, in rain season, 1307 ± 22 g, 1482 ± 42 g and 1184 ± 17 g respectively for rabbit feed with R0, R20 and R40. In dry season, the average weight was 1331 ± 45, 1485 ± 66 and 1196 ± 11 g. The average feed efficiency for the experimental period was, in rain season, 3.57 ± 0.08 g; 2.94 ± 0.12 g and 3.6 ± 0.08 g and in dry season, 3.59 ± 0.1g; 2.9 ± 0.12 g and 3.58 ± 0.06 g of crude product by 1 g bodyweight for the same groups of young rabbits. The study found that animals fed with a diet containing 20% of Pueraria had the best animal performance.
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