<![CDATA[The high cost of commercial feed is a major constraint in rabbit farming and encourages the use of local protein-rich forages such as Indigofera sp. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of substituting commercial concentrate with fresh Indigofera sp. leaves on the average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of male Rex rabbits. Twenty male Rex rabbits (± 2 months old, initial body weight ± 1 kg) were arranged in a completely randomized design with four treatments and five replications: P0 (100% concentrate + 0% Indigofera), P1 (85% + 15%), P2 (70% + 30%), and P3 (55% + 45%) on a dry-matter basis, and reared for 27 days. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Substitution of concentrate with fresh Indigofera sp. leaves up to 45% had no significant effect (P>0.05) on ADG (F-value = 1.08) or FCR (F-value = 2.66). Mean ADG ranged from 3.70 to 6.30 g/head/day and tended to decrease with increasing substitution level, whereas FCR ranged from 8.27 to 44.42 and tended to increase. Fresh Indigofera sp. leaves can replace part of the concentrate up to 45% without significantly reducing the growth of Rex rabbits, although feeding Indigofera in meal or pellet form is recommended to improve palatability and feed efficiency.]]>
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