Evaluation of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) as Replacent for Maize in the Diet of Growing Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Abstract

Thirty six young New Zealand white rabbits were used in a randomised complete block (RCB) design with a 3×2 factorial treatment experiment to study the suitability of sorghum as substitute for maize in the diet of growing rabbits in Kenya. Six different diets were formulated to contain 35% of one of the three different types of grain (maize, white sorghum or brown sorghum) and one of the two different levels of crude protein (CP) 16 or 18.5% and fed to growing rabbits for a period of six weeks. The tannin content of the grains was 0.05, 0.52 and 5.6% chatechin equivalents for maize, white and brown sorghum respectively. Weaning weight at 35 days of age was used as the blocking criterion at the beginning of the experiment. Results of feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, feed digestibility, as well as the blood parameters, indicated that white sorghum was not significantly different from maize. Animals fed on diets containing brown sorghum had a lower average daily gain (ADG) and a poorer feed conversion efficiency (FCE) (p<0.01) in comparison with those fed on diets containing maize or white sorghum. The 18.5% CP level gave a better FCE (p<0.05) compared with the 16% CP level. However, increasing the level of CP did not improve the utilisation of any of the grains. It was concluded that white sorghum could effectively substitute maize in the diet of growing rabbits. On the other hand, the use of brown sorghum in the diets of growing rabbits may compromise their growth rate. This may be due to the high concentration of tannins in the brown sorghum.

Caecal fermentation characteristics, blood composition and growth of rabbits on substitution of soya-bean meal by unconventional high-glucosinolate mustard (Brassica juncea) meal as protein supplement

“…Animal production in tropical countries is largely based on alternate feed resources that did not compete with human foods. Economisation of feed cost using cheaper and unconventional feed resources (Vasanthakumar et al, 1999;Bhatt and Sharma, 2001;Muriu et al, 2002) is an important aspect of commercial rabbit production. India is the second largest producer of rapeseed (Brassica napus)-mustard (Brassica -E-mail: mktripathi@gmail.com juncea) in the world and produces one-fifth of the world's total rapeseed-mustard (Kiresur, 1999).…”

Sorghum: An Underutilized Cereal Whole Grain with the Potential to Assist in the Prevention of Chronic Disease

“…In general, animals consumed more feed yet experienced the same or slightly less weight gain when tannin sorghum formed the basis of their diets. (116,117,120) Such effects in a Western diet, where food is ubiquitous, may be beneficial if these results are to be translatable to humans. Antioxidant tannins may be key protective components in sorghum foods for the mitigation of oxidative stress-induced diseases, with anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects as their key mechanisms of action.…”

“…This postulation is partly based on evidence from numerous feeding studies that show animals (from rodents to livestock species) fed whole grain sorghum, in particular the slowly digested high tannin sorghum varieties, have reduced weight gain. (116,117,120,154,155) In general, dietary fiber and whole grain intakes have been associated with reduced risks of obesity, overweight and with lowered waist-to-hip ratio. (156,157) Effects of dietary fiber on appetite and satiety have been proposed as major mechanisms for these reductions.…”

Impact of Supplementation of Moringa Oleifera in Diet of Broiler Chicks on Their Behavior, Welfare, Performance and Immune Responses

“…It constitutes about 60-80% of the total cost of poultry meat production (Teguia and Beynen, 2005). The high cost and increasing demand of traditional energy source and protein source such as fishmeal and soybean meal have encouraged the search for alternative feeds (Gaia, 2005) not only for economy but also to reduce the direct competition between human being and the animals for the available traditional feedstuffs (Muriu et al, 2002).…”