Growth performance and blood profile of rabbit bucks in two housing types on aqueous extract of oyster mushroom (<i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i> Jacq ex fr.)

Abstract

The growth performance and blood profile of forty-eight (48), six (6) weeks old rabbit bucks of cross (Chinchilla and New Zealand White) were assessed for 10 weeks. The bucks were allotted on weight equalization basis in a 2 x 4 factorial experimental layout composed of 24 rabbits into steel hutches and wooden hutches each and on four (4) varying levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 mL/litre of water, respectively) of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus Jacq ex fr.) extract. Six (6) bucks were assigned to each treatment group and replicated three times with two (2) bucks per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design. The phytochemicals of the oyster mushroom extract showed that 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z)- methyl ester was the most abundant. Results showed that the feed conversion ratio was significantly (P<0.05) best (6.08) in bucks reared in wooden cage and administered 15 mL oyster mushroom extract. Significantly (P<0.05) highest triglycerides (81.00 mg/dL) was obtained in bucks on steel hutch and on 5 mL oyster mushroom extract and lowest (55.00 mg/dL) in bucks on steel hutch and on 10 mL oyster mushroom extract. The lowest (P<0.05) lymphocytes (59.00%) were recorded in bucks on wooden cage and administered 10 mL oyster mushroom extract. It was concluded that oyster mushroom extract up to 15 mL/litre of water administered in either steel hutch or wooden hutch did not impair the growth performance and blood profile of rabbit bucks.

Keywords: Rabbit bucks, housing types, blood profile, oyster mushroom, phytochemicals