Young plantain leaves in weaned rabbit diet: growth performance, digestibility, carcass yield and composition

Incorporation of young plantain (Musa paradisiaca) leaves (PL) into the diet has been investigated in growing rabbits in order to promote this crop residue use in their diets. Growth performance, carcass weight, yield and composition, chemical meat composition, and digestibility of the diets and PL were evaluated. Four diets, namely PL0, PL20, PL40 and PL60, using four incorporation rates of young PL (0, 20, 40 and 60%, respectively) into a commercial feed as basis, were made. Each diet was given to 8 New Zealand rabbits, 4 males and 4 females, weighing 642±133 g, just after weaning at 41.5±1.7 days, in a random design. The rabbits were housed in individual hutches and fed during 9 weeks, including one week of adaptation. A digestibility trial was conducted during week 4 where feces were weighed daily. Diets offered were weighed daily, while refusals and rabbits were weighed weekly. At the end of the experiment, all rabbits were slaughtered, carcass weight, and composition measured. Diets, refusals, feces, and meat samples were taken to laboratory for analysis. Results showed that adding 20% of PL does not affect intake, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, final body weight, and carcass weight (p>0.05). However, commercial and reference carcass yield, as well as total meat and dissectible fat percentages were higher in rabbits fed with PL0 diet. Rabbits receiving PL60 diet showed the lowest growth performances; PL40 diet being intermediate (p<0.05). Diets dry matter (DM) digestibility varied from 38.5% for PL60 to 49.3% for PL0 diet (p<0.05). PL DM was digested at a rate between 28.6% and 34.3% according to diets. The meat of rabbits fed with PL60 diet had the lowest fat content (0.4%, against 2.9% in raw product for those consuming PL0 diet). PL can replace 20% of weaned rabbits’ diet without modify their growth performances.