Effects of Housing and Feeding Types on Growth and Physiological Performance of Growing Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Humid Tropics

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of housing and feeding types on the growth and physiological response of growing rabbits. The study involved Ninety unsexed matured New Zealand White rabbits, which were randomly assigned to three housing systems (concrete pen with litter filled floor [H 1 ], concrete pen with soil filled floor [H 2 ], and battery cage [H 3 ]) and three feeding systems (forage only [F 1 ], concentrate feed only [F 2 ], and forage + concentrate [F 3 ]) in a 3x3 factorial completely randomized experimental design for ten weeks. The study found that the main effect of housing and feeding systems with their interaction had a significant (p<0.05) effect on measured growth and hematological parameters. Measured serum biochemical indices of rabbits were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by treatments. Rabbit carcass weight (kg) and dressing-out percentage (%) were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the main and interactive effect of housing with feeding systems. Overall, H 3 and F 3 had the best growth performance, carcass characteristics and physiological response (p<0.05) as compared to other treatment groups. The interaction effects revealed that the combination of H 3 x F 3 had the best performance (p<0.05) as compared to other groups. Rabbits on H 1 and F 1 had the lowest overall performance (p<0.05) based on measured parameters, no mortality was recorded in the study. In conclusion, both housing and feeding types are capable of influencing rabbit production. Feeding rabbits with a combination of forage with concentrate in a battery cage housing system is suitable for optimum rabbit production in humid tropics.