Effects of Turmeric Flour (Curcuma domestica) Combined with Graded Levels of Skim Milk Powder on Growth Performance, Feed Consumption, and Protein Utilization Efficiency of New Zealand White Rabbits
Abstract
Turmeric (Curcuma domestica) and milk-derived by-products are increasingly explored as natural, antibiotic-free feed additives for rabbit production, yet evidence on their combined use at graded protein-source levels remains limited, particularly for New Zealand White rabbits reared under smallholder tropical conditions. This study evaluated the effect of a fixed level of turmeric flour (0.4%) combined with three levels of skim milk powder (0%, 5%, and 10%) on the growth performance, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) of growing New Zealand White rabbits. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used with three dietary treatments — P0 (0.4% turmeric flour, 0% skim milk powder), P1 (0.4% turmeric flour, 5% skim milk powder), and P2 (0.4% turmeric flour, 10% skim milk powder) — each replicated six times, for a six-week observation period following a two-week adaptation. Body weight gain was highest in P2 (21.30 ± 4.94 g/rabbit/day) compared with P1 (16.70 ± 3.78) and P0 (14.00 ± 2.37) (p < 0.05). Feed consumption was also highest in P2 (96.11 ± 12.66 g/rabbit/day) relative to P1 (76.72 ± 7.84) and P0 (73.54 ± 13.42) (p < 0.01). FCR (4.60–5.30) and PER (0.97–1.10) did not differ significantly among treatments (p > 0.05), although numerically the most favorable values were recorded in P2 and P1, respectively. These findings indicate that combining turmeric flour with a higher level of skim milk powder enhances growth rate and feed intake without compromising feed efficiency, supporting its potential as a practical, natural growth-promoting strategy in rabbit farming. Carcass composition was not assessed in this trial; further studies incorporating carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, and dose–response evaluation are recommended.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/jptt.v7i1.71893
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