Voluntary intake, digestibility and nutritive value of coastal bermuda grass (cynodon dactylon) employed as sole feed for rabbits

S.V. Deshmukh

India

Marathwada Agricultural University

N.N. Pathak

India

Indian Veterinary Research Institute

S.R. Randhe

India

Marathwada Agricultural University

S.S. Deshmukh

India

Marathwada Agricultural University

Submitted: 2010-06-29

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Accepted: 2010-06-29

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Published: 2010-06-30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.1993.202
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This research was not funded

Abstract:

Nutritional evaluation of Coastal Bermuda grass as a sole feed was undertaken in adult male NZW rabbits. There was a constant decrease (-18g/day) in body weight of rabbits during the three weeks experimental period. daily DM intake was very low (31g). Digestibility of all the nutrients especially that of crude protein (CP) and structural carbohydrates was low: DM 52.6%, CP 48.9% and crude fibre 26.4%. For rabbits, digestible CP content was 5.7g in 100g of DM of Coastal Bermuda grass, and calculated DE content was 2.11 Mcal/kg DM. The results of the study indicate that Coastal Bermuda grass had very poor nutritive value for adult rabbits and could not supply adequate nutrients even for maintenance.
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