DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2022.v09i11.005

Pages: 178-188

In Côte d’Ivoire, the challenges facing rabbit breeders are essentially food-related. The aim of this study is also to produce low-cost mixed foods based on residues that can feed rabbits in the same way as those sold on the market. To do this, plants, agricultural and industrial residues were collected, treated, and powdered. Dietary supplements (F1, F2, F3, and F4) are formulated and granulated. They were tested on 5 lots of 10 rabbits each, in comparison to a commercial food. Physicochemical characteristics of diet, zootechnical parameters, mortality and morbidity rates of the animals were determined. The biochemical parameters and the organoleptic quality of the meat were determined. The dry matter contents of the diets range from 82 3.10% for diet F3 to 89.2 1.95% for diet F2. All results are significantly different at P<0.05. The mean protein content ranged from 20.47 ±2.52 to 23.27 ±1.56% DM for F1 and F2 respectively. The crude fiber contents vary from 16.23 ±2.50 to 26.71 ±5.73% DM for F1 and F4 respectively. The carbohydrate contents varied from 15.03 ± 1.25% DM (for F3) to 21.6 ±1.80% DM (for F2). The cost of feeding a rabbit for 56 days on the F2 diet was 724 FCFA, which was the least expensive, followed by the F1 diet (744 FCFA) and the F3 diet (845 FCFA). Of the experimental diets formulated, diet F4 was obviously the most expensive (1163 FCFA). However, its price was lower than the amount paid for the control diet (1628 FCFA). For the carcass, there were no significant differences in the values obtained for weight and yield at P > 0.05. The average scores obtained for odor were 3.42 ± 0.93, for taste, 3.45 ± 1.10 and for tenderness, 3.48 ± 1.07. The overall scores for F1, F2 and F4 were statistically identical and significantly higher than F3 and the control. Cholesterol, creatinine, and urea levels were within the range of the standard, whereas triglyceride levels were above the standard.