Effects of feeding vegetable wastes from the local markets on rabbits performance based on a basal diet of fresh water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) in the Mekong delta of Vietnam
 

Nguyen Huu Tam, Vo Lam, Vo Thanh Tuan, Bui Phan Thu Hang and Phan Van Y

Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Angiang University, Vietnam

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of the market wastes of Brassica species in rabbit feeding. The study was carried out in the experimental farm of Angiang University. Thirty-two weaned crossbred rabbits (New Zealand x local female) with an initial weight of 900 - 1100 g and ages between 6 and 7 weeks were used in an experiment to evaluate the effect of eight different diets on intake and live weight change.  The diets were:

·        Cabbage + water spinach + paddy rice (A)

·        Chinese cabbage + water spinach + paddy rice (B)

·        Cauliflower + water spinach + paddy rice (C)

·        Water spinach + paddy rice (D)

·        Cabbage + water spinach (E)

·        Chinese cabbage + water spinach (F)

·        Cauliflower + water spinach (G)

·        Water spinach (H)

The basal diet was water spinach offered initially 10% of body weight (DM basis), while leaves of cabbage were fed ad libitum. Paddy rice was supplemented from 40-50 g during different growing stages of rabbits. The experiment lasted 8 weeks. Feed intake, crude protein (CP) intake, and also live weight gain for the diets with cabbage, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage supplement were high.

Rabbits had better intake and live weight gain when fed cabbage, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage with a basal diet of fresh water spinach.

Key words: cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, growing rabbits, live weight gain, paddy rice, water spinach