Page 98 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

Reference

Mesfin, R and Ktaw, G. 2010. Effect of feeding urea treated wheat straw based diet on biological performances
and economic benefits of lactating Boran-Friesian crossbred dairy cows. Livestock Research for Rural
Development. 22(12):231.

S2-10
Feeding of Gliricidia sepium leaves as green fodder to rabbits

P.Gopu , R.Murugeswari and D.Balasubramanyam 3
1
2
1- Assistant Professor and 3 – Professor, PGRIAS, 2 - Assistant Professor, Institute of Animal Nutrition,
Post graduate Research Institute in Animal Sciences (PGRIAS), Kattupakkam – 603 203
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
gopu76@yahoo.com

Introduction
Commercial rabbit farming is on the increasing trend as it focusses on raising rabbits to cater to the food
needs of human beings. Rabbit known as “Micro-Livestock” can be a great source for food production. Green
leafy vegetables, spinach, carrots, muller, cucumber, green grass and vegetable wastes are common food
for rabbits. In rabbit farming, the feed cost involves 70% of its total cost of production. Hence, the cost of
production can be reduced by reducing the feed cost. Gliricidia is rich in protein (23% CP) and calcium
(1.2%) can be utilized for feeding rabbits as a green fodder. Hence, the study was carried out to evaluate the
Gliricidia sepium as source of green fodder for growing rabbits.
Materials and Methods

Twelve, 42 days old New Zealand White breed rabbits, averaging 582 gm in weight were randomly
allotted into two groups of six rabbits each. One group was categorized as control and fed with concentrate
(70 % DMI) and Desmanthus virgatus (30% DMI) and other group was categorized as treatment and fed with
concentrate (70 % DMI) and Gliricidia sepium (30%) tree fodder. The gliricidia leaves were harvested and
fed fresh daily. The animals were housed in cages with wire screen floors raised to a height of 75 cm from the
concrete floor. The drinking water was offered ad libitum daily. The trial was conducted for 3 months. Every
day the offered feed and fodder and residual feed and fodder were weighed to calculate the daily feed intake.
Weekly the rabbits were weighed to evaluate feed conversion ratio. Representative samples of green fodder
were analysed for its proximate principles (AOAC, 2012). The data collected on various parameters were
statistically analysed.
Results and Discussions

The proximate composition of concentrate feed, Desmanthus virgatus and Gliricidia sepium is given in
table 1.

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development 79