Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) as a herbal feed additive to improve productive performance of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

The study evaluated the effect of different inclusion levels of Lemon grass meal (LGM) on the productive performance of rabbits. Fifteen New Zealand White rabbits, aged 11-weeks (mean weight 939 g) were randomly put into three treatment groups of five replicates each. The experimental diet were composed of shade-dried Lemon grass, milled and mixed at 0.0, 5.0 and 10.0 g per 100 g of concentrate basal diet, offered as control (T0) i.e., treatment groups T1 (0.5) and T2 (11.0 g), respectively. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Body weight and weight gains for the T1 group were significantly (P<0.05) highest than the T2 and T0 groups, in that order. A similar trend was observed for the Feed Conservation Ratio (FCR). Likewise, slaughter weight, de-furred weight, and dressed weight were significantly (P<0.05) highest in the T1 group, but the T2 had the highest dressing %. The haematological indices measured were within the normal standards. Therefore, Lemon grass (LG) can be used as a feed additive in rabbit diets could be used to improve performance in weight gains of the rabbits.