IMPACT OF REPLACEMENT CLOVER HAY BY PANICUM MAXIMUM (GUINEA GRASS) HAY AS AN ALTERNATIVE FEED RESOURCE IN RABBIT FEEDING

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Animal Prod. Dept.; Fact of Agri. ;Zagazig Univ.; Egypt

2 Poultry Production Depart.,Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Unvi., Egypt

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of using Panicum maximum hay (Pmh) as an alternative to clover hay in rabbit diets. Sixty New Zealand White (NZW) weaned male rabbits, 6 weeks old with an average body weight of 720±42 g, were allotted to four dietary groups (15 rabbits in each). The control group fed a basal diet contained 36 % clover hay (D1), The other three groups were fed graded Pmh levels of 12, 24 and 36 (%) of the total diets to replace the clover hay in the basal diet, by nearly 33, 66 and 100% (D2 and D3 and D4, respectively). Rabbits were fed pelleted feed ad libitum. The experiment extended for 8 weeks.
The chemical composition of Pmh was 12.18% CP, 28.38% CF, 1.4% EE, 12.63% ash, and 37.41% NFE. The results of the feeding trial indicated that feed intake, digestibility, of CF and NFE, nutritive value (TDN and DE), daily body gain, FCR and carcass percentage were slightly significantly (P< 0.05) decreased with increasing the Pmh replacement up to 24% (D2 and D3) and significantly (P<0.05) declined with the highest replacement level (D4) as compared with the control. On the other hand, using Pmh as a replacement for clover hay improved the net revenue by increasing the Pmh level as a result of reducing the total feed cost, and the highest replacement level gave the best relative economic efficiency than control (114%).
 Conclusively, from these results it could be concluded that inclusion of Pmh instead of clover hay can be used as an alternative and more economical feed than clover hay in rabbit diets.          
 

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