Intake, digestibility and growth of roaster rabbits fed graded dietary levels of neem (Azadirachta indica) seed kernel-cake

Male broiler rabbits (24) of 12-week-old were assigned equally to 4 isonitr ogenous and isocaloric composite (25 roughage: 75 concentrate) diets contai ning 0 (D-1), 5 (D-2), 10 (D-3) and 20 (D-4)% neem seed kernal-cake (NSKC), fed ad lib. up to 24 weeks of age. The intake and digestibility of most of the nutrients and retention of nitrogen and energy depressed with increasi ng dietary levels of NSKC. The nutritive value of diets having NSKC beyond 10% was lower than the diets containing deoiled groundnut-cake and 5% NSKC. However, the rabbits on all the diets grew without any significant differe nce with similar efficiency of nutrient utilization (unit intake/unit gain) . incorporation of NSKC at higher dietary levels for longer periods appears to affect the nutritional performance of roaster rabbits adversely.