Effect of Baobab (Adansonia digitata) Seed Meal on Performance Characteristics of Rabbit Does

The study assessed the effect of baobab (Adansonia digitata) seed meal (BSM) on some growth and reproductive parameters of rabbit does. A total of 24 adult does (age range) were used, the rabbits were grouped into four treatments having six replicates with each replicate consisting of one doe. Treatment 1 (T1) served as the control, treatment 2 (T2) had 5% BSM, treatment 3 (T3) had 10% BSM and treatment 4 (T4) had 15% BSM. The study lasted for 10 weeks.

The antinutritional factor content of the diet increased with BSM inclusion. Tannin, saponin and alkaloid content in the control diet was 0.27, 260.00 and 0.86 mg/100 g respectively, while the diet with 15% BSM (T4) had 0.0055 mg/g (tannin), 7.73 mg/g (saponin) and 0.022 mg/g (alkaloid). However, the pure BSM had 0.0017 mg/g (tannin), 130.00 mg/kg (saponin) and 0.03 mg/g (alkaloid). Feed intake and weight gain were significantly (P<0.05) higher for does in T2 compared to the control diet. Does on T2 converted their feed better compared to does on T3 and T4 with 16.93 and 16.95 respectively. The weight change during gestation revealed that does in T2 had a significant (P<0.05) weight increase of 150.00 g compared with the control with a weight change of 137.00g. However, a weight loss of -30.00 g was observed for does fed T4 (15% BSM). No significant (P>0.05) difference was observed in the litter size of does fed different diets with means ranging from 5.33 to 6.00, although the highest birth weight of kindles was observed in T2 (5% BSM) but was not significantly (P>0.05) different from kindles of other treatments.

It is concluded from the result of this study that inclusion of 5% ADSM in the diet of does did not result in any significant weight loss. However, inclusion levels above 5% posed a threat to the growth performance and reproductive attributes of does.