Effect of feeding cassava root meal on reproduction and growth of rabbits.

In an experiment designed to determine the effect of feeding cassava-based diets on reproduction of young rabbit does, 16 New Zealand White does, about 36 weeks old, were fed four diets containing 0, 15, 30 or 45% cassava root meal (CRM) daily plus 200 g of green herbage every other day. After being fed those diets for 42 days, the does were bred to bucks fed standard commercial diet. The does were bred two more times after the pups were weaned at 5 weeks of age. Offspring of the first breeding study were used in an 8-week growth trial by feeding them the same cassava-based diets as their dams. The number of pups per litter at birth, 14, 28 and 35 days postpartum and the live weight of pups at the same ages did not differ significantly between treatments. Similarly, the thiocyanate content of the urine and blood serum of the dams was similar for all treatments. Results of the growth study using the offspring of the first breeding showed the average rate of gain, feed consumption, efficiency of feed utilization, the fresh weight of skin, kidney, liver, heart, pancreas and visceral fat were not significantly different. Also the urine and serum thiocyanate concentrations were not different.