GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWING RABBITS (ORYCTOLAGUS CUNNICULUS) FED GRADED LEVELS OF INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED BREWERS DRIED GRAINS (BDG) MEAL

Seventy five weaned rabbits aged between 5 and 6 weeks and of mixed breeds and sexes, with average initial weights of 450 g were used to investigate the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of rabbits. (Oryctolagus cunniculus) fed diets containing brewers dried grains. The rabbits were allotted into five dietary treatments; T1 ( 0 % as the control diet), T2, T3, T4 and T5 (containing 10, 20, 30 and 40% brewers dried grains) of three (3) replicates with five (5) rabbits per replicate in a completely randomized design. Data were collected on body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and carcass characteristics, the trial lasted twenty weeks. Data generated from the study were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The variations in means were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range. (Duncan,1955). The initial weight, final weight, total weight, feed conversion ratio and daily weight gain were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. The result showed that there were significant (P<0.05) differences in some of the carcass parameters measured. Despite the non significant differences observed on the growth performance parameters, brewers dried grains inclusion at 10 % gave the highest and best values of (1801.67 and 9.48 g) final weight gain and feed conversion ratio and could be recommended as the best inclusion level for growing rabbits.