''EIGHT GAIN, HAEMATOLOGY AND BLOOD CHEMISTRY OF RABBITS FED CEREAL OFFALS

Abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate weight gain and clinical health status grower rabbits fed cereal bye-products as alternative energy sources. The bye-product substituted for maize grain (control diet), included maize (diet 2), millet (diet 3) or sorghum (diet 4) offals. The diets contained similar levels (17%) of crude protein. Forty crossbred grower rabbits of both sexes used for the studies were randomly distributed into four dietary groups (10 rabbits/group). The mean body weight per group at the comencement of the studies was 915+6kg (mean + standard deviation). Bleeding of rabbits fasted for the last 12 hours was done on 70 days of the feeding experiments. Sorghum offal was poorer on Ca and K, and richer in P contents than maize or millet offal; but the latter contained higher Fe and Zn than either of the two other offals. Rabbits fed maize grain or Sorghum offal diets grew at slower (P < 0.05) rates than the animals offered maize or millet offal diets but their feeding utilisation efficiencies where simillar with any of the diets. Plasma K and Cu levels were significantly (P < 0.05) lower on rabbits on diets 4 than in rabbits on any of the rest diets. All the test diets significantly (P < 0.05) elevated haemarocrit (PCV) values above that of the control diet; but diets 2 or 3 increased haemoglobin concentration more (P < 0.05) than diets 1 or 4. Conversely, animals on diets 4 displayed higher (P < 0.05) mean corpuscular volume (MCV), but lower (P < 0.05) mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and leucocyte (WBC) counts than the one on diets 1,2 or 3. Erythrocyte (RBC)counts, total plasma protein, albumin, globulin, urea N, creatinine and glucose concentration did not differ significantly among the dietary groups. Rabbits fed grain and maizeoffal diets, respectively, had significantly (P < 0.01) higher plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels, alanine (ALT) and aspartite (AST) aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities than rabbits offered millet or sorghum offal diets.