Geni Salete Pinto de Toledo

This study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the use of sweet potato vines (SPV) in replacement of alfalfa hay in diets for growing rabbits. For this, data on: performance, composition and color of the meat, digestive enzymes, intestinal morphology and economic viability were analyzed. Fifty New Zealand White rabbits were used, weaned at 35 days with a body weight of ± 585 g, for 49 days. The animals were distributed into one of five dietary groups: 0SPV – control diet; 25SPV, 50SPV, 75SPV and 100SPV – diets with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% SPV in replacements for alfalfa hay respectively. The data were subjected to normality testing and analysis of variance, and compared using the Tukey test (p < 0.05). The results showed that the inclusion of BBD differed in the initial phase, causing a reduction in consumption, reflecting on the live weight of the animals in the 75SPV and 100SPV treatments. However, in the total experimental period there were no significant changes in daily feed consumption, mass gain and conversion. The SPV caused a decrease in chymotrypsin activity, but did not affect trypsin. However, villus height was lower in 50SPV than in other treatments. No differences were observed in the compositions and color of the muscle. Regarding economic viability, the increasing replacement of SPV linearly reduced costs, reaching 35% in the 100SPV experimental diet. It can be concluded, based on the data studied, that SPV can be used as a replacement for alfalfa hay up to 100% in diets for growing rabbits.

This study aimed to evaluate the costs of using banana peel (BP) and sweet potato vine (SPV) in rabbit diets. BP and SPV were chosen to replace maize and alfalfa hay, because, in addition to the ingredients having similar nutritional characteristics, they are among the most expensive ingredients in rabbit diets. Data were obtained through a biological assay carried out in the Cuniculture Laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Fifty New Zealand white rabbits, weaned at 35 days of age, were fed during the growth phase (35 to 84 days) with increasing levels of BP and SPV, replacing maize and alfalfa hay (T0, T25, T50, T75 and T100% replacement). A diet containing 100% replacement (T100) had the lowest cost per kilogram, which was R$ 1.18/kg, while the controlled diet was 57% more expensive, costing R$ 2.08/kg. The total operating cost to produce a rabbit with control treatment was R$10.93/head and at T100, it was R$6.51/head. The animal income for a live rabbit was R$ 24.08 and R$ 23.95 in treatments T0 and T100, respectively. Regarding the gain margin per animal (GMA), in TO it was R$ 13.16 while in T100 it was R$ 17.44, therefore the GMA was 32.55% higher when using the T100 diet. In conclusion, it is more economical and feasible to feed rabbits with diets containing 100% BP and SPV, replacing maize and alfalfa hay.

This study aimed to evaluate the use of banana peel (BP) and sweet potato vines (SPV) as a replacement for maize and alfalfa hay in diets for rabbits. Animal performance, economic analyses, meat composition, and color were evaluated for 49 days in a total 50 New Zealand White rabbits weaned at 35 days with an average body mass of ± 614 g. The animals were allotted, in a completely randomized design, having five dietary groups: control diet (0), without banana peels and sweet potato vines, or experimental diets, 25, 50, 75, and 100—with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of banana peels and sweet potato vines in substitution to maize and alfalfa hay, respectively. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, while the means were compared by Tukey test (p < 0.05). The results indicate that daily feed intake, mass gain, and feed conversion were not statistically different from one another in the test groups compared to the control group treatment. In addition, the study shows no differences were observed in centesimal compositions and muscle color. The replacement of maize and alfalfa hay by the combination of BP and SPV resulted in reduction in feed costs, reaching 50% in the experimental diet with 100% of substitution the ingredients. It can be concluded, based on the results on animal performance, meat/color composition, and economic analyses, that BP and SPV may be used as a substitute for maize and alfalfa hay up to 100% in diets for growing rabbits.