Leucaena foliage (Leucaena esculenta) as a partial replacement for wheat in diets of fattening rabbits: performance and dressing percentage

  • Gilberto Castillo-Luna Ingeniería Agronómica y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla
  • Laura Ramos Cortez Ingeniería Agronómica y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
  • Reyna Lucero Camacho Morales Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6172-2619
  • Ernesto Avelar Lozano Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7376-4074
  • Edith Sáenz Flores Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua
  • Lorenzo Buenabad Carrasco Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0271-4088
Keywords: rabbits, Leucaena, carcass yield, productive behavior

Abstract

Thirty-nine weanling rabbits (New Zealand x English spot;30 days of age) were used in a four-week trial to evaluate the partial replacement of wheat grain for Leucaena leaf meal (Leucaena esculenta; LEU) on performance, carcass dressing percentage, and organ weights in fattening rabbits.  Treatments consisted of partial replacement of wheat for 0%, 7.5%, or 15.0% of LEU in growing-finishing diet for fattening rabbits. Partial replacement of wheat grain with increasing levels of LEU did not influence (P>0.10) performance, carcass dressing percentage, and internal organs weights. It is concluded that this feeding strategy might contribute to reduce the food for feed competition while improving locally available forage resources for rabbit production in warm environments with multidimensional poverty.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Cardelaria-Martinez, B., Chiquitin-Medina, R., Angulo-Balán, O. G., Ramírez-Bautista, M. A., Cuervo-Osorio, V. D., Quetz-Aguirre, E. M., y Flota-Bañuelos, C. (2021). Productive parameters and carcass yield of rabbits supplemented with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit., and Guazima ulmifolia Lam. foliage. Agroproductividad, 14(1), 3-8.
Garcia, G, W., Ferguson, T. U., Neckles, F. A., y Archibald, K. A. E. (1996). The nutritive value and forage productivity of Leucaena leucocephala. Animal Feed Science and technology, 60, 29-41.
Mtenga, L. A., y Laswi, G. D. (1994), Leucaena leucocephala as feed for rabbitts and pigs: detailed chemical composition and effect of level of inclusion on performance. Forest Ecology and Management, 64(2-3), 249-257.
NOM-062-ZOO-1999. (2001). Norma oficial mexicana. Especificaciones técnicas para la producción, cuidado y uso de los animales de laboratorio. Diario oficial de la federación. Ciudad de México, México.
Tangendjaja, B., Rahardjo, Y. C., y Lowry, J. B. (1990). Leucaena leaf meal in the diet of growing rabbits: evaluation and effect of a low-mimosine treatment. Animal Feed Science and technology, 29(1-2), 63-72.
Muscat, A., de Olde E. M., de Boer I. J. M., y Ripoll-Bosch, R. (2020). The battle for biomass: a systemic review of food-feed-fuel competition. Global Food Security, 25, 100330.
Mutsami, C., y Karl, S. (2020). Commercial rabbit farming and poverty in urban and peri-urban Kenya. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 353.
Published
2022-10-13
How to Cite
Castillo-Luna, Gilberto, Laura Ramos Cortez, Reyna Lucero Camacho Morales, Ernesto Avelar Lozano, Edith Sáenz Flores, and Lorenzo Buenabad Carrasco. 2022. “Leucaena Foliage (Leucaena Esculenta) As a Partial Replacement for Wheat in Diets of Fattening Rabbits: Performance and Dressing Percentage”. Archivos Latinoamericanos De Producción Animal 30 (Supl. 1), 143-45. https://doi.org/10.53588/alpa.300517.