الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 104 |  |  |
| | | from | 104 | | |
Abstract
A total number of Fourty eight NWZ rabbits at 4 weeks of age
(with an average body weight of 683±28g) were randomly divided into
three equal groups; animals were kept under the same managerial and
hygienic conditions. Rabbits were randomly distributed into 3 equal
groups, 16 rabbits/group in 2 replicates, 8 rabbits in each. The first
group served as a control (C) and fed soybean meal (SBM) as the
protein source. Jatropha meal (JCSM) replaced SBM at the levels of
50% or 100% in the other two groups (T1 and T2).
Three experimental diets were formulated; the first diet served
as control contained no Jatropha while in the other two diets (T1) and
(T2) Jatropha replaced either 50% or 100% of that of Soybean as a
source of protein in the rabbit diet. The experimental diets were
formulated to meet the nutrition requirement of growing rabbits
according to NRC (1985) The diet was formulated to be iso-nitrogenous
and iso-caloric and had nearly equal level of CF. All the experimental diets
were prepared and introduced to the animals as pellets. The experimental
rabbits were fed the tested experimental ration for 10–weeks.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate Jatropha curcas
seed meal as a source of protein in animal feeding and to determine
growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, nitrogen balance,
carcass characteristics, chemical and physical properties of rabbit
meat. Blood parameters and cecum activities as well as histological
structure of kidney and liver were also studied. Economic feasibility
was evaluated.
The results obtained showed that:
1- No significant differences were found regarding average body
weight at any week of the experimental period.
2- No adverse effect of any dietary treatment on the growth of the
experimental animals was reported.
3- Apparent DM digestion coefficients of control, 50% Jatropha
and 100% Jatropha were, 62.20, 66.65 and 66.85% respectively,
differences were not significant.
4- Digestibility of OM followed the same pattern being 60.26,
66.51 and 67.48% for the same respective groups.
5- Digestibility of CP for the same diets was 78.57, 80.56, and
80.98%, respectively, differences were not significant.
6- Digestion coefficient of CF was generally low in rabbits being
53% for control, 56.53% for T1 (50%JCSM) and 57.61% for T2
(100%JCSM); differences were not significant.
7- It was noticed that NB in control, T1 and T2 were 1.28, 1.03
and 0.82, respectively; T1 was close to the control diet but T2
was less than control.
8- Rabbits fed the experimental diets had similar carcass traits and
chemical composition and JCSM did not have any adverse effect
on meat quality of growing rabbits.
9- It was evident that feeding growing rabbits diets containing
different level JCSM either at 50 or 100% had almost no
significant effect on blood serum components.
10- Comparing the morphological structure of the kidney and
liver in Jatropha treated rabbits (T2 and T3) to the control
rabbits no abnormalities were reported.
11- No toxic syndrome for Jatropha curcas seed meal on
rabbits fed treated diets (T1 and T2) was observed. 12- Economic efficiency was measured and reported to be
better with the group T3 being 125% followed by T2 being
108%.
13- In general, using JCSM in replacement of soyabean meal
at any level tested lead to a better economic efficiency.