Use of home-made concentrate feed with Albizia lebbeck meal for fattening rabbits fed sweet potato vines

Abstract

A trial was conducted for 40 days in the small animal facility of the Experimental Station of Pastures and Forages “Indio
Hatuey”, with the objective of evaluating the inclusion of Albizia lebbeck meal in a home-made concentrate feed with
different energy-protein supplements, to feed fattening rabbits. Twenty-six healthy crossbred animals, 60 days old and
with 0,94 (±0,10) kg of weight, were used in a completely randomized design with two treatments (13 animals each);
they were: A) 100% sweet potato (Ipomoea batata) vines and B) 70% sweet potato vines + 30% home-made concentrate
feed elaborated with A. lebbeck meal and different energy-protein supplements. The feed was supplied in the morning
(9:00-10:00 a.m.) and the afternoon (3:00-4:00 p.m.). Significant differences were found in the final weight of the
animals (A-1,47 kg and B-1,62 kg). The best live weight gains were observed in the supplemented treatment B (16,3
g/animal/day), which were higher (P<0,01) than those in treatment A (12,6 g/animal/day). The best results were
concluded to be obtained when the diet was composed by 70% sweet potato vines plus 30% home-made concentrate
feed. To conduct further studies up to slaughter weight of the animals is recommended, in order to evaluate other
productive and health indicators.