Growth Performance of Rabbits with Varying Dietary Levels of Job’s Tear or Adlai Seeds (Coix lacryma-jobi L.)

This study evaluated the potential of Job’s tears or adlai (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) seeds as an alternative feed ingredient for rabbit production. Using a 2x3 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), 54 male rabbits aged eight weeks from two breeds (Californian and New Zealand) were fed commercial feeds every morning in a 30-day feeding trial with varying amounts of adlai seeds (0%, 10%, and 20%), and fixed amount of 150 g napier grass in the afternoon. The nutritional analysis of the different feed formulation showed that the levels of moisture, crude protein, ash, fat, nitrogen-free extract, calcium, and phosphorus were either within or closely aligned with the recommended nutritional standards for growing rabbits. Growth performance was assessed through final body weight at 12 weeks old, average weight gain (AWG), average daily gain (ADG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Results showed no significant differences (P>0.05) in all the performance parameters across treatments, indicating that adlai seed inclusion did not adversely affect rabbit performance. These findings suggest that adlai seeds can be a sustainable component of rabbit diets. Its potential to enhance growth of rabbits may be explored in future studies by varying the percentage of adlai seeds in the feed formulation for various breeds and growth stages.