Productive parameters and carcass yield of rabbits supplemented with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit., and Guazima ulmifolia Lam. foliage

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of the addition of Leucaena leucocephala andGuazima ulmifolia foliage on the production parameters and carcass yield of NewZealand rabbits.Desing/methodology/approach: 30 rabbits (15 females and 15 males) of the NewZealand breed were used, distributed in three treatments (five females and five males),which consisted in feeding 200 g of concentrated food per day + 100 g of fresh L.leucocephala or G. ulmifolia foliage, and a control group with no supplementation.Results: The total voluntary intake was not affected by the treatments or gender of therabbits; an average value of 158.9 g day -1 was recorded. Weight gain was 27.2 g day -1on average. The average slaughter weight of the rabbits was 2523 g. The carcassweight was 1,297 g and the average carcass yield was 51.6%. The dissectable fat 2content was lower in rabbits on supplements (F = 6.70, P = 0.001) with values of 1.6, 1.8and 2.11% with fresh foliage of G. ulmifolia, L. leucocephala and withoutsupplementation, this variable was not affected by gender. The viscera proportion wason average 24.3%. The average meat: bone ratio was 5.6.Limitations on study/implications: It was not possible to carry out bromatologicalanalyzes of the foliages or their digestibility.Fingings/conclusions: Supplementation of rabbits with foliage of G. ulmifolia and L.leucocephala decreases the proportion of dissectable fat and did not affect theproduction parameters and carcass yield.

Follaje de leucaena (Leucaena esculenta) como reemplazo parcial de trigo en dietas para conejos de engorda: comportamiento productivo y rendimiento en canal

“…1074 g, con un rendimiento de 53%. En estudios similares (Mtenga y Laswai, 1994;Cardelaria-Martinez et al, 2021) la adición de leucaena no afecto el comportamiento productivo. De acuerdo con García et al (1996), el follaje de Leucaena tiene un elevado contenido de proteína (30%, aprox.)…”

“…Et Sessé ex Dc.) Benth; LEU] es una leguminosa originaria del sur de México y Castillo et al Centroamérica utilizada en la alimentación del ganado (García et al, 1996) y especies menores incluyendo los conejos, sin embargo, en estos últimos ha presentado resultados contradictorios (Tangendjaja et al, 1990;Mtenga y Laswai, 1994Cardelaria-Martinez et al, 2021. El forraje de Leucaena es "un arma de doble filo", contiene un alto nivel de proteína, pero también de mimosina, un factor antinutricional.…”