EFFECT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF MEAL ON NUTRIENTS DIGESTIBILITY, BLOOD COMPOSITION, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND GROWTH OF NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBITS

Document Type : Original Article

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Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, 12613, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of adding :10g of Moringa oleifera leaf meal /head /day (T2), 20g of Moringa oleifera leaf meal /head /day (T3), 30g of Moringa oleifera leaf meal head /day (T4), versus an supplemented ration (T1) control group which consists of 70% concentrate and 30% alfalfa hay on the nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, blood composition and growth performance of New Zealand White rabbits. The study involved 48 growing New Zealand White rabbits aged about 6 weeks divided into four experimental treatments (12 rabbits per treatment), each in four replicates. The obtained results revealed that final body weight and body weight gain significantly increased in T3 and T4 compared to T2 and the control. Rabbits in the T3  and T4 groups consumed a higher amount of feed compared to the other groups. The experimental groups had no significant differences in feed conversion ratio and carcass traits. Adding different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal improved nutrients digestibility (DM, OM, EE, and NFE) and nutritive values as  TDN, DCP compared with control group. Furthermore, The WBC, PCV, and Hemoglobin values were affected by dietary treatments with significant differences (p <0.05). Referring to the obtained result, it could be recommended that feeding growing rabbits with 20g of Moringa oleifera leaf meal /head /day (T3), 30g of Moringa oleifera leaf meal head /day (T4) which improved economic efficiency and growth performance without harming the health of rabbits

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