Two experiments were carried out to determine the nutritive value and to evaluate the performance of growing rabbits fed on isoenergetic diets containing high moisture sorghum silage grain with low or high tannin levels. In the digestibility assay (experiment 1), the nutritive values of silages were determined with 30 New Zealand White rabbits, 15 males and 15 females, 55 days old, allotted in a completely randomized design, with 3 treatments and 10 replications. In each treatment the each sorghum silage replaced 30% basal diet. Values of digestible dry matter, organic matter, protein, starch and energy of high moisture sorghum silage grain with low or high tannin content were, respectively, on a dry matter basis, 62.25 and 62.61%; 91.99 and 89.05%; 9.50 and 7.70%; 66.22 and 65.76% and, 4,285 and 4,116 kcal/kg. In performance trial diets containing increasing levels of high moisture sorghum silage grain with low or high tannin content (0, 33, 66 and 100%) in replacement to corn were used. Eighty four New Zealand White rabbits (42 males and 42 females), 35 days old, were alloted in a completely randomized design, with 7 treatments and 12 replications each. There was no effect on performance, carcass and cost of ration per kilogram live weigh gain of growing rabbits. High moisture sorghum silage grain with low or high tannin content has good nutritive value and may totally replace corn in diets of growing rabbits.
carcass; digestibility; energetic value
