Desempenho de coelhos em crescimento submetidos à ração balanceada e fenos de cunhã (Clitoria ternatea, L.) e de rama de mandioca (Manihot esculenta, C.).

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted at the Rabbit production Division, Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, aiming to evaluate the partial or total substitution of a commercial granulated food (RC) by hay of the terminal aereal part of mandioca (Manihot esculenta, C.) (FRM), or by cunhã (Clitoria ternatea, L.) hay (FC) treated or not with molasses. The diets were fed to growing rabbits and biologicai and economical variables were measured. In the first experiment, 30 New Zealand White rabbits aging 57 days were allocated in individual cages to each of the following five feeding treatments: T1 (RC offered "ad libitum"); T2 (RC 70 g/day and FC; T3 (RC 50 g/day and FC); T4 (RC 30 g/day and FC); T5 (FC). FC was ground and offered "ad libitum". Cages were randomized in a complete block design with six animals per treatment. Treatment T5 was excluded at the begining of the experiment due to the high mortality rate observed in these animals caused by the low ingestion of food. Significant differences (P < 0,05) in hay consumption, total food consumption, liveweight gain and feed efficiency were detected. Dressing yields were not significantly different (P < 0,05) among treatments in this experiment. These results showed that FC can substitute 20% of the RC with a feeding cost reduction of about 10%. In the second experiment, using the same number and type of animals and statistical design, the following treatments were compared: T1 (RC 70 g/day); T2 (RC 70 g/day and FC); T3 (RC 70 g/day and FRM); T4 (RC 60 g/day and FRM); T5 (RC 40 g/day and FRM). The hay was chopped and offered "ad libitum". Significant differences among treatments (P < 0,05) were detected in terms of hay consumption, total food consumption, liveweight gain and feed efficiency. No significant differences were observed in dressing yields. From the biological and economical points of view, FRM showed to have a better feeding effect than that from FC. In the third experiment, designed in the same way that for the first and second experiments, the feeding treatments were as follows: T1 (RC 70 g/day and FC "ad libitum"); T2 (RC 70 g/day and FC with 3% molasses "ad libitum"); T3 (RC 70 g/day and FC with 6% molasses "ad libitum) and T4 (70 g/day and FC with 9% molasses "ad libitum"). No significant differences in hay consumption, total food consumption, liveweight gain and feed efficiency among treatments were detected at this point. An increase in production costs was observed by using molasses along with FC.