Harnessing Syzygium aromaticum for Sustainable Rabbit Meat Production: Growth and Carcass Response in Does
This study investigated the efficacy and optimal inclusion level of Syzygium aromaticum (clove) as a phytogenic feed additive for enhancing growth performance and carcass characteristics in rabbit does. As global demand increases for natural and sustainable alternatives to synthetic growth promoters in animal production, phytogenic additives such as S. aromaticum which is rich in bioactive compounds like eugenol, gallic acid, and flavonoids offer promising potential due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and digestion-enhancing properties. A total of thirty-six crossbred rabbit does (aged 2–3 months; initial body weight 600–650 g) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatment groups included: T1 (control, 0 g/kg S. aromaticum), T2 (5 g/kg), T3 (7.5 g/kg), and T4 (10 g/kg). The feeding trial lasted for 20 weeks, during which growth performance parameters including feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion efficiency were recorded. Post-mortem carcass evaluation included measurements of slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, and the weights of major primal cuts. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mean differences were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results indicated that dietary inclusion of S. aromaticum significantly influenced several performance and carcass parameters. Feed intake was highest (97.46 g/day) in T3 and lowest (93.46 g/day) in T1. While final body weight did not differ significantly among treatments (p > 0.05), the highest average daily weight gain was observed in T4 (59.85 g/day), followed by T3 and T2, indicating a dose-responsive trend. Feed conversion efficiency improved with S. aromaticum supplementation, peaking at 62.99% in T4 compared to 59.92% in the control group. Carcass evaluation revealed that rabbits fed 7.5 g/kg S. aromaticum (T3) had the highest slaughter weight (1786.11 g) and carcass weight (1561.99 g), with notable improvements in dressed weight and the weights of key primal cuts such as the loin, rib, and back. These findings suggest enhanced protein accretion and muscle deposition, likely attributable to the antioxidative and digestive properties of the clove bioactive. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Syzygium aromaticum at 7.5 g/kg appears to be the optimal inclusion level for improving growth performance and carcass yield in rabbit does. This study underscores the potential of S. aromaticum as an effective phytogenic feed additive and supports its integration into rabbit nutrition programs aimed at enhancing productivity, meat quality, and sustainability in small- and medium-scale rabbit farming systems.
Keywords: Syzygium aromaticum, phytogenic feed additive, rabbit does, growth performance, carcass characteristics, natural growth promoters, sustainable animal production
