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Abstract
An experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary crude protein on testicular morphometrics, haematological and serum biochemical parameters of growing male rabbits exposed to transient neonatal goitrogen. Sixty-three (63) male rabbit neonates were transiently exposed to goitrogen through suckling of their mothers’ milk. The neonates were weaned after 5 weeks and 10 rabbits were randomly assigned to each of three dietary treatments (T1-16% CP (Control); T2-14% CP (Low) and T3-18% (High) crude protein) in a Completely Randomized Design. Animals were fed with the experimental diets from the 5th to 13th weeks of age. Five animals per treatment were humanely sacrificed on the 13th week. Blood samples were collected for haematological and serum biochemical parameters. Testes were harvested for testicular morphometric evaluation (Testes weight, length, width and volume). The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Rabbits fed with high crude protein diets had significantly (p<0.05) higher test is weight, length and width than those fed lower dietary crude protein. The haematological and serum biochemical variables fell within the normal physiological range for male rabbits. In conclusion, 18% dietary crude protein increased testicular morphometrics in rabbits exposed to transient neonatal goitrogen without posing health risk to the animals.