Abstract

A feeding experiment on 18 weaned crossbred rabbits, aged between six and seven weeks
has conducted. The animals were distributed into 2 groups based on their sex, group-l male and
group-2 female. Both the male and female groups were fed locally available green roughage
and concentrate in the ratio of 23.59:76.41 and 23.14:27.86 respectively to supply the
energy, protein, mineral and vitamin requirement for production. The roughage and concentrate
fed in animals contained 10.98% and 15.99% CP, 23.73% and 6.87% CF, and 11.52% and
7.71% TA respectively, on air-dry basis. The experimental feeding was carried out for 12
weeks. In the early stage of age, growth rates in male rabbits w~re higher (6 to 15 weeks of age)
than that of female group, which coped up; in thrlater'stage, at about 16 - 17 weeks of age,
by female grOt1p.-Average daily voluntary, feed consumption and live weight gain for male and
female rabbits were comparable and found 83.17±8.14 g and 9.88±1.97 g, and 82.62±7.96
and lO.OO±1.93 g respectively. There were non-significant (P>O.05) differences for feed
consumption and live weight gain In between the groups. From the results, it waS concluded that
a combination of easily available green roughage with concentrate (23 :77) can provide reasonable
growth and effective In the cost of rabbit production without regarding of sex.