A total thirty six New Zealand White (NZW) male rabbits, 5 weeks of age were used in this study to investigate the effect of a partial replacement of berseem hay and barley in commercial basal diet with Guava by-product ( Psidium guajava), as untradional feedstuff, at three levels (5, 10 and 15%) on growth performance, digestibility coefficients of nutrients, some carcass traits and economic efficiency.
The rabbits were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups (9 rabbits each). The 1st group was fed a pelleted basal diet, while the 2nd , 3rd and 4th groups were fed a diets containing 5, 10 and 15% Guava by-product, respectively. The experimental period was extended for 6 weeks.
Obtained results indicated that growth performance parameters had no adverse effect when experimental diets included up to 10% Guava by-product, while the main significant improvement in final body weight , total body weight gain, average daily gain and performance index were achieved for rabbit fed diets containing at level 5% Guava by-product.
On the other hand, daily feed intake, feed conversion, protein efficiency ratio (PER), carcass traits or caecum parameters had not significantly affected. However, the rabbits which fed diets containing 15% Guava by-product were recorded depression in these criteria.
Digestibility coefficients of DM, CF, EE, NFE and the nutritive values of the experimental diets were not affected by inclusion of Guava by-product in the diets, while the digestibility coefficients of OM or CP had significant depression when the diets included 10 or 15% Guava by-product.
In point the economical values, the highest economical efficiency (%) was recorded for rabbit group fed a diet contained 5% Guava by-product.