Moringa oleifera: A MULTIPURPOSE BROWSE PLANT FOR FEEDING RABBITS

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the role of dietary Moringa oleifera in rabbit production. The high cost of conventional feedstuffs presents a major challenge to agriculturalists, animal scientists and livestock farmers, particularly in developing countries. There are many browse plants of tropical origin that have great potential for use in the livestock feed industry. The utilization of the leaf meal from browse plants as a good source of cheap protein for feeding animals has been generating research interest. One of such browse plants is Moringa oleifera, which belongs to the family Moringaceae. It is the most popularly grown species in the genus Moringa. It is a multipurpose plant with high nutritive quality that has been recommended by many researchers for feeding farm animals. It can serve as a feed additive/supplement or feedstuff in the diet of rabbits. Generally, Moringa oleifera has been reported to support the growth, reproductive performance, normal haematological profile and physiology of rabbits. Moringa oleifera is a promising browse plant with exceptional qualities for future use in the production of commercial rabbit feeds.