Growth Performance and Nutrients Digestibility of Weaner Rabbits FED Diets Containing Par-Boiled and Non-Parboiled Rice Milling By-Products

A feeding trial was conducted for 84-days to investigate the feeding value of rice milling by-products on growth performance, digestibility and carcass characteristics of growing rabbits in Makurdi. Forty two (42) weaner rabbits weighing between 412 – 420 g were randomly allocated to 7 treatment diets with each treatment replicated 6 times in a completely randomize design (CRD). Each rabbit constituted a replicate and each treatment was made up of three males and three females. The treatments were, D1, control, D2 contained parboiled rice offal (PRO), D3 contained parboiled rice bran (PRB), D4 contained parboiled grain rejects (PGR), D5 contained non-parboiled rice polishing (NPRP), D6 contained non-parboiled rice bran (NPRB)and D7 contained non-parboiled grain rejects (NPGR). Result of growth performance revealed that Significant (P<0.05) dietary influence were observed on average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratios. In both parameters (ADWG and FCR) performances were significantly(P<0.05) poor (10.97g and 6.69 respectively) in rabbits fed PRO. Result of digestibility by the rabbits fed diets containing RMBPs were similar (P>0.05) to the rabbits fed the control diet and this similarity was observed across the treatment groups. No significant (P>0.05) dietary influence was observed on carcass parameters measured It was concluded that, the combination of rice milling by-products (RMBPs) with other feed materials provided cheaper diets that are nutritionally adequate for enhance growth, good carcass development and yield of rabbits at levels equivalent to the reference diet. It is recommended therefore that, feed manufacturers and Rabbit farmers can incorporate up to 25% of rice offal, rice bran and rice grain rejects in the diets of rabbits.