Abstract:
The study was conducted to investigate 4 protein supplement sources in raising does. Twenty-four does, already had one parity, were divided into 4 groups of six each. They were fed 1:1 soybean meal-fish meal, soybean meal-cotton seed meal and soybean meal-rubber seed meal, respectively. Protein sources for group 4 was 1:1:1 soybean meal-cotton seed mean-rubber seed meal. Fresh 200 grams para grass was given daily to all does. Four different protein sources did not affect gestation period, litter size, litter weight at birth and weaning, total feed consumed during gestation and feed conversion of both does and their rabbits from birth to weaning. There was a trend that protein supplement from soybean meal gave the best results except their litter weight at birth which is the lowest. No abnormality was found in both does and rabbits received varies sources of protein supplements. In terms of feed cost, protein supplement from soybean meal-cotton seed mean gave the lowest cost of production in 1 kilogram weight gain of rabbit.
Abstract:
The experiment was designed to enable further investigation in rabbits weaned form the four groups of does treated with four different sources of protein in experiment I when received the same diets as their does with different sources of roughage. The four weaned groups, 24 in each, were each put into four subgroups of two replications to receive para grass, ipil-ipil, water hyacinth and rice straw as the source of roughage. Weight gained and amount of concentrate and roughage consumed were recarded in all ninety six rabbits from six weeks of age to fourteen week. Weight gain and amount of concentrate consumed per rabbit were not significantly different within each protein source. The same results were found in the amount of roughage fed to rabbit receiving protein from soybean meal-cottonseed meal source and soybean meal-cottonseed meal-rubberseed meal-source. The significant differences (P .01) were found in rabbits receiving soybean meal-fish meal ration and soybean meal-rubberseed meal ration. However, feed conversions were not different among 4 groups of rabbit in each protein sources. The incidence of alopecia occurred in the face, ear, neck, back and legs in ipil-ipil fed rabbits, especially from the groups which received soybean meal-cottonseed meal-rubberseed meal and soybean meal-rubberseed meal rations. They recovered within 18 days after changing ipil-ipil to para grass.