Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina Leaf Meals on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Blood Profile, and Gastrointestinal Parasites in Weaner Rabbits

TL;DR

Adding Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina leaves to rabbit diets improves growth and reduces parasites.

Contribution

This study shows that 15% inclusion of OG and VA leaf meals enhances rabbit growth and reduces parasite excretion.

Findings

Dietary inclusion of OG and VA improved feed intake, feed conversion ratio, weight gain, and carcass yield.

Excretion of helminth eggs and coccidial oocysts was significantly reduced with 15% supplementation.

Hematocrit levels improved at 15% inclusion of OG and VA leaf meals.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina supplementation on the growth performance, feed intake, blood profile, excretion of helminth eggs, and coccidial oocysts in growing rabbits through two experiments. Eighty‐four New Zealand White rabbits aged 40–50 days and averaging 790.04 ± 60.70 g, divided into 7 treatments of 12, were used in the first experiment for 56 days. Ninety rabbits aged 40–45 days and weighing 600 ± 50 g, divided into 10 treatments of 9 young rabbits, were used in the second experiment for 28 days. OG and VA leaves were harvested, dried, milled, and incorporated into the diet at 0% (control), 5%, 10%, and 15%. The treatments in Experiment 1 included a control treatment, as well as OG and VA administered at inclusion levels of 5%, 10%, and 15% each. Measured parameters included feed intake, feed conversion ratio, blood hematological and biochemical indices, and carcass characteristics. The treatments in Experiment 2 comprised OG−, OG supplemented at 5%, 10%, and 15%, and OG+ and VA−, VA supplemented at 5%, 10%, and 15%, and VA+’. Parameters measured included fecal excretion of oocytes and helminth eggs. A one‐factor analysis of variance followed by linear and quadratic regression was performed on the production data, and then a generalized linear model was carried out on the egg and oocyst excretion data using the statistical software R. Significance was considered at p < 0.05. The results demonstrated that dietary inclusion of OG and VA leaf meals significantly improved feed intake, feed conversion ratio, average weight gain, and carcass yield (p < 0.05) compared to the control. In contrast, the excretion of helminth eggs and fecal coccidial oocysts was significantly reduced (p < 0.001), with an improvement in hematocrit levels (p < 0.05) at 15% supplementation. These findings suggest that incorporating OG and VA leaves at 15% in rabbit diets can enhance growth performance and effectively reduce gastrointestinal parasite loads.

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