Development of feeding systems for rabbits and guinea pigs, based on sugar cane juice and tree foliages

[摘要] Threeexperimentswerecarriedoutonthefeedingofsugarcanejuice(preservedwitheithersodiumbenzoateorsodiummetasilicate)andtreefoliage(fromErythrinaglaucaandEpeppigiana)torabbitsandguineapigs.ThefirstexperimentaimedtoassesstheacceptabilityoffoliagefromLeucaenaleucocepahalaandfromEglaucaassourcesofproteintosupplementthecarbohydratesinthecanejuice.Twogrowingrabbitshadfreeaccesstooneofthesefoliagesandtopreservedsugarcanejuice.After11daysintakeoftheLeucaenadecreasedmarkedlyanditwasreplacedbyErythrina.Duringafurtherperiodof100d,intakeswerenormalandtherewerenodigestiveproblems.Intakeaveraged91gDM/d,ofwhich46%correspondedtothecanejuice.Inthesecondtrial,fiveNewZealandWhitemalerabbits(initialweight1240g)werefedthecanejuiceandErythrinafoliagefor56days.Averageweightgainswere11.5g/d.IntakeofErythrinaincreasedduringthisperiodfrom50%ofthedietDMinthefirstweekto65%attheendofthetrial.Thethirdtrialwaswithgrowingguineapigsfedcomfrey(Sphytumperegrinum)foliagefreechoiceandeither(i)Kinggrassandacommercialconcentrate;(ii)derindedcanestalkandproteinsupplement;(iii)derindedcanestalkandfoliagefromEpoeppigiana;or(iv)sugarcanejuiceandproteinsupplement.Therewerenodigestiveproblemsandnodifferencesingrowthrates(5to8g/d)amongthetreatments.Dataaregivenonproteincontentanddrymatterdigestibilities(rumennylonbagmethod)foranumberoffoliagesconsideredtohavepotentialvalueforfeedingtorabbitsandguineapigs.

[学科分类] 农业科学（综合）