Evaluación de diferentes niveles de harina de forraje de maracuyá para la alimentación de conejos en crecimiento y engorde.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of rabbits fed with different levels of passion fruit forage meals in the growth-fattening stage. This study was carried out in the Academic and Research Unit of minor species of the Animal Science College of the Animal Science Department at Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo for 120 days. Passion fruit leaves and stem were used to make the forage meal and supplement for New Zealand rabbits in the growth-fattening stage. A total of 80 New Zealand rabbits (40 males and 40 females) were used with an initial weight of 694.49 g and at 45 days of age. The design was two-factor completely randomized with three treatments (10%, 20%, 30%) and one control treatment with five replicates. Factor A was the levels of passion fruit forage meal, and factor B was the sex. The size of the experimental unit was two rabbits. The results were analyzed by variance analysis (ADEVA) and a mean separation using Tukey’s test with a level of significance (P < 0.05). The fruit forage meal did not show statistical differences among the variables in the productive performance during the growth- fattening stage. It is recommended to use the passion fruit forage meal at 30 % in the diet of rabbits because the benefit-cost ratio is $1.25.