Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Florida 1710, Johannesburg, South Africa
*Corresponding Author: I.P. Ogbuewu, Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Florida 1710, Johannesburg, South Africa, Email: ogbueip@unisa.ac.za; dr.ogbuewu@gmail.com
Online published on 15 October, 2020.
The responses of growing rabbits to varying levels of ginger rhizome powder (GP) supplementation were investigated. 72 growing rabbits were divided in 4 groups with each group replicated thrice. Rabbits in each group received commercial diet supplemented with GP at a rate of 0 g (T1), 5 g (T2), 10 g (T3) or 15 g/kg feed (T4) in a completely randomized design for 12 weeks. Quadratic regression equation was used to determine GP supplementation for optimum production variables. Results indicated that rabbits on diet T4 gained weight with lesser feed intake (FI), whereas rabbits on diet T2 had the best feed to gain ratio. Rabbits on diets T2 and T3 recorded higher (p<0.05) glucose levels compared to those on the other two diets. Higher (p<0.05) cholesterol, triglycerides, highdensity lipoprotein (HDLP) and low-density lipoprotein (LDLP) were recorded for rabbits on diet T4 compared to those on diet T1. Rabbits on diet T1 had (p<0.05) lower potassium level than rabbits on diets T2 and T4. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level was lowest for rabbits on diet T3, which differed (p<0.05) significantly from rabbits on the other three diets. The results indicated that GP supplementation at 2.601, 2.826, 2.047, 0.148, 0.774, 0.792, 0.266, 1.363 and 2.443 g/kg feed supported the optimum live weight, FI, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLP, LDLP, potassium and ALP level, respectively in growing rabbits. The above-mentioned findings indicate that GP supplementation on rabbit diets enhanced production variables.
Blood, Ginger, Optimization model, Production physiology, Rabbits
