Abstract

OLAFADEHAN, O.A.. Carcass quality and cost-benefit of rabbits fed cassava peel meal. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2011, vol.60, n.231, pp.757-765. ISSN 1885-4494.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0004-05922011000300063.

A study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary inclusion of processed cassava peel meals (CPM) on the carcass characteristics, meat quality and economy of production of thirty-two growing rabbits. The rabbits, aged 6-week old with an initial average weight of 567±23 g, were allocated to a completely randomized design in a 9-week experiment. There were four diets consisting of a control (without cassava peel meal) and 200 g kg^-1 of ensiled cassava peel meal (ECPM), sun-dried cassava peel meal (SCPM) and retted cassava peel meal (RCPM), respectively. The hydrogen cyanide (HCN) contents of processed CPM followed this rank order: RCPM (98.10mg/kg)< SCPM (165 mg/kg)< ECPM (299.21 mg/kg)< unprocessed cassava peel meal (710.98 mg/kg). Live, slaughter and dressed weights, dressing percentage, meat to bone ratio, and pelt, shoulder, loin and leg expressed as the percentage of the dressed weight were lower (p<0.05) in ECPM than other diets. Other carcass parameters, meat organoleptic properties and savings on cost of feeding were not significantly influenced by the dietary treatments. Feed cost/kg body weight gain (BWG) decreased (p<0.05) with inclusion of 200 g/kg CPM in the diets. Differential cost/kg BWG and relative cost benefit/kg BWG showed similar trend and followed this rank order: RCPM >SCPM >ECPM (all p<0.05). Meat to bone ratio was positively and significantly (p<0.0001, R²= 0.9996) influenced by live, slaughter and dressed weights. The results indicate the efficacy of the processing methods in cassava peels detoxification, cost effectiveness of the 200 g kg^-1 CPM diets and absence of negative effect of residual HCN contents of the detoxified CPM on the meat quality of the experimental rabbits.

Keywords : Ensiling; Hydrogen cyanide; Organoleptic property; Retting; Sun-drying.

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