Resumen de Nutritive value of robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia) leaves in growing Soviet Chinchilla rabbits.

P. Singh, L.C. Chaudhary, Akhilesh K. Verma, N.N. Pathak

• Far determining the nutritiva value of robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia) leaves, widely distributed in the temperate and humid Himalayan ranges (29°25N and 79º35E), containing OM 89.9; CP 20.7; EE 3.8; CF 21.7; NFE 43.7; NDF 60.1; ADF 29.6; Ca 2.4 and P 0.2 par cent on DM basis, ten Soviet Chinchilla rabbits of six week old (mean body weight 792+73 g) were fed freshly lopped green robinia leaves as a sale feed far 56 d. The green leaves were offered individually at 400g/rabbit/day. A metabolism trial of 6 day was conducted after 21 d of experimental feeding. The digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE, NDF and ADF was 74.3; 77.4; 36.8; 73.2; 60.3 and 29.4%, respectively. The average intake of DM was 145.3g/d and 143.79/kg Wo,75, DCP 11.29/d and 11.1g/kg W0.75 and DE 407.6 Kca1/d and 402.4Kca1/kg W0.75, which could not only meet the maintenance requirement but also supported 10.4g daily body weight gain. The dry matter of robinia leaves contained a.o percent DCP and 2.81 kcal DE/g. Results suggest that robinia leaves may be usad as a sale feed far maintenance. This may also be usad far the development of production rations by supplementation of energy and if necessary proteinacious feeds.