Assessment of Caecal Microbiome in two Breeds of Rabbits Fed Fermented Cocoa Podhusk Meal

The study was conducted to determine the effect of inclusion of fermented cocoa pod husk meal in feed of rabbits on the microbial flora in the caecum.Sixty 5 weeks (35 days) old grower rabbits comprising 2 breeds (thirty New Zealand White and thirty Chinchilla) were used for the study. They were randomly distributed into six treatments of 10 rabbits per group and fed diets containing fermented cocoa pod husk meal (FCPHM) at 0%, 12.5% and 25% inclusion levels for a period of 8 weeks. Contents of the caecumof experimental rabbits were collected at the end of the feeding trial for analysis of bacterial counts/load, identification and characterization of the bacteria organisms. The results showed that the different breeds of rabbit and varying inclusion levels of FCPHM had significant influence (P<0.05) on the bacterial and coliform counts in the caecum. The average caecal bacterial and coliform population increased as the inclusion levels of FCPHM increased with rabbit fed control diet having 56.88 × 102cfu/ml; 7.38 × 102cfu/ml; those fed 12.5% FCPH having 87.82 × 102cfu/ml; 10.63 × 102cfu/ml and those fed 25% FCPHM having 101.63 × 102cfu/ml; 15.25 × 102cfu/ml bacteria and coliform counts respectively. The breed effect also showed that New Zealand White had higher bacterial and coliform counts of 93.67 × 102cfu/ml and 13.58 × 102cfu/ml when compared to Chinchilla with 70.58 ×102cfu/ml and 8.56 × 102cfu/ml.Only Salmonella and Bacillus species of bacteria were commonly isolated from the rabbits fed the three dietary treatments. It can be concluded that the different breeds of rabbit and inclusion of FCPHM in their diets significantly altered the composition and population of caecal microbiota.