The effect of different feed on the growth rate and behaviour of rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus)

• Main Author: Mismohid Mohd Ishak
• Format: Undergraduate Final Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/5013/1/MISMOHID%20BIN%20MOHD%20ISHAK.pdf; http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/5013/

The thesis presents an improved approach and study on the effect of giving different feeds such as pellet and vegetables on domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Rabbits are now more commonly known amongst the community as an alternative source of food product as for their rich content of protein source as well as being domesticated worldwide. However, it is kind of complicated to rear rabbits as they required specific care attention on their needs regularly. The proposed experiment is divided into three segments where the first segment consists of rabbits which are test with certain solid rabbit feed which is pellet where pellet is easily digestible by rabbits as these type of food is suitable for the age of rabbits which are 7 months. Commonly, using pellets as feed for rabbits are mostly useful where it contains almost all the basic nutrition needed by rabbits. The proposed segment uses only rabbit pellet specifically timothy-based pellet to be served to the rabbits as rabbit feeds and no other feed type is given to them. In the second segment, vegetables type of food such as cabbage and carrot are served to the rabbits in contra of the first where soft type of food is given to test the survivability and growth rate of the rabbits compared to the first. The third part set up by giving rabbits both type of food as a constant and zero indicator. These experiments have been run for three months in suitable condition where they are under shelter to make sure another factor does not affect them. The experimental results show that these methods constantly and constructively point out effect and changes on rearing rabbits caused by change of surrounding and feed type. The results of experiment show that rabbits do easily depends on their feed and nutrition as the biggest factor on affecting growth and survivability as well as their behaviors which also prove that timothy-based pellet is better than vegetables feed. The experimental results on real time events will build more awareness amongst farmers to emphasize on their choice of feeds which are given to the rabbits as these will necessarily affect the rabbits in many ways in bigger rearing events.