ABSTRACT
The use of alternative foods for rabbits aims to reduce production costs, due to their ability to extracting nutrients from non-conventional feeds. Thus, passion fruit peel (PFP) appears as a potential use in feeding rabbits. This study aimed to determine the chemical and energetic composition of PFP and evaluate the effects of inclusion for growing rabbits. For the digestibility trial, 24 rabbits were distributed between two treatments (reference ration and test ration, composed of 70% reference ration and 30% PFP) with 12 replications of one animal per plot. For the performance trial, 120 rabbits were distributed within a randomized block design, in a 5x2 factorial arrangement, with 5 levels of inclusion of PFP (0, 8, 16, 24, 32%) and 2 sexes (male and female) corresponding to a total of 10 treatments with 12 replications each. PFP had 10.99% CP, 6.25% EE, 47.40% ADF, 54.66% NDF and 4,156.50 kcal DE/kg, on a dry matter. The inclusion of PFP did not influence the final weight and weight gain of rabbits, however it was observed that rabbits fed at the level of 32% inclusion of PFP consumed less amount of feed, with no negative effect on performance. Decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels were observed in relation to control and an increase of creatinine in rabbit's blood. As there was an improvement in the economic parameters without affecting the performance and carcass characteristics, it’s recommended to include this ingredient up to level of 32% in the feed for growing rabbits.
Key words:
Agroindustry byproduct; Cholesterol; Oryctolagus cuniculus; Passiflora edulis; Performance