Effect of water spinach and mulberry leaves on intake and growth performance of rabbits

Pok Samkol, Chhay Ty and T R Preston

Centre for Livestock and Agriculture Development (CelAgrid)
psamkol@celagrid.org
 UTA (Colombia), Socorro, Santander, Colombia
 

Abstract

Fifteen crossbred (Local x New Zealand) rabbits with average live weight of 678±29.6 g were allocated randomly into 3 treatments with replicated 5 times. The treatments were water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and mulberry leaves (Morus alba) either fed solely or together.  

Rabbits fed water spinach consumed more DM and  tended (P=0.093) to grow faster on water spinach than on mulberry leaves or on mixtures of water spinach and mulberry. Growth rates were linearly related with intakes of DM and crude protein.

Key words: water spinach, mulberry leaves, intake, growth     

Figure 1: Relationship between CP in diet DM and live weight gain in rabbits fed water spinach and mulberry leaves either solely or together.	Figure 2: Relationship between crude fibre in the diet and live weight gain in rabbits fed water spinach and mulberry leaves either solely or together.