Effect of sweet potato (ipomoea batatas), water spinach (ipomoea aquatica) and malvavicus (malvaviscus penduliflorus) on feed intake and growth performance of meat rabbits

Le Thi Lan Phuong [1], Le Duc Ngoan

Abstract

An experiment was performed to evaluate nutritive values of available forages and their inclusion in diets for rabbits kept in small holders in the Central of Vietnam. 36 rabbits at 3 months of age were arranged in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments and 6 replications. Rabbits were fed 3 different forages (malvaviscus (MP); sweet potato (SP) or water spinach (WS), respectively) with 3 % concentrate feed. The results showed that have significant difference from DM, OM, CP and NDF intakes of three forages were found (P<0.05). There were not significantly difference DM, OM intakes in rabbits between the different treatment diets, except CP intake.  In the daily weight gain trial, the malvaviscus, water spinach or sweet potato were not significant effected on daily weight gain in rabbit. In conclusion, water spinach, sweet potato, malvaviscus are able to sole feed to rabbits.

Keywords:  water spinach, sweet potato, Malvaviscus penduliflorus