Water Hyacinth as Food for Rabbit free essay sample

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is free-floating perennial aquatic plant (hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub-tropical continents. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves. They have long, spongy and bulbous stalks. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pink in color with six petals. Mostly unlike here in the Philippines these free-floating plants are wastes, they the cause of the flash-floods that destroys our houses, they block the way that the water will flow mostly in the river side. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a tropical, perennial grass that forms lateral shoots at the base to produce multiple stems, typically three to four meters high and about five cm in diameter. The stems grow into cane stalk, which when mature constitutes approximately 75% of the entire plant. A mature stalk is typically composed of 11–16% fiber, 12–16% soluble sugars, 2–3% non-sugars, and 63–73% water. This is also the main source of sugar that we use everyday, and can be converted into molasses which some animals like, such as rabbit. This sugar cane molasses can boost the appetite of this cute mammal called rabbit. Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a small mammal that is herbivore, some makes them as pets (Domestic rabbits), and can be a great source of income too. We will make them a food from dried water hyacinth leaves and compare what is its improvement in many aspects like in health and etc. from the original food that it eats. Since water hyacinth and sugarcane are pretty much available in the local area, together with the rabbit that can be bought in almost all of the pet stores located in the local area. Also, because of the alarming conditions of the environment (water hyacinths causing flashfloods), dried water hyacinth leaves mixed with sugarcane molasses are chosen to be as feed for the rabbit for healthier and cheapest way to feed your rabbit. Statement of the Problem This science investigatory project aimed to use dried water hyacinth leaves mixed with sugarcane molasses as feed for the rabbit. Specifically, this aimed to answer the following questions: 1. What the processes of: 2. 1 Making the feed? 2. 2 Making the sugarcane molasses? 2. What are the chemical components of the ingredients used? Like the leaves and the sugarcane molasses? 3. Will dried water hyacinth leaves mixed sugarcane molasses be a possible feed for rabbit? And will the rabbit eat the feed? 4. What are the improvements of the rabbit in the following terms? 5. 3 Health 5. 4 Growth 5. 5 Behavior 5. If this with be sold in the market, what will be the price of this product? Hypothesis Null: Dried water hyacinth leaves mixed with sugarcane molasses is not an ideal feed for the rabbit. Alternative: Dried water hyacinth leaves mixed with sugarcane molasses is an ideal feed for the rabbit. Significance of the Study Water hyacinths are almost can be found in all rivers, ponds, and lakes: which makes them very abundant here in the Philippines, they causes such disaster like flashfloods and destroy the properties located near it, they block the way that the water will flow: And the sugarcane is can be bought or harvested in the local area. Drying the leaves of the water hyacinth and mixing it with sugarcane molasses, a new innovation in rabbit food production will be more conductive to the welfare of the environment than they are the cause of deaths of people and destruction of properties. Scope and Limitations This study was conducted to make feed for rabbit out of dried water hyacinth leaves and mixing it with sugarcane molasses (to make the rabbit eat more of the feed). The aspects into were processes that may involved in the preparation or production of the rabbit feed, the chemical components of the ingredients used, this will be a possible feed, the improvements of the rabbit in terms of health, growth, and behavior; and the price if will be sold in the market. Conceptual Paradigm Production of rabbit feed Output Process Input Water hyacinth and Sugarcane Rabbit food in pellets form I. Preparation of the water hyacinth leaves II. Making sugarcane molasses III. Mixing the all the ingredients Definition of Terms: * Water hyacinth- is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in height. * Sugarcane- is a tropical, perennial grass that forms lateral shoots at the base to produce multiple stems, typically three to four meters high and about five cm in diameter. Molasses- The left over liquid when extracting the sugar from boiled sugar cane and sugar beet. * Rabbit- are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. * Perennial Plant- is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Mol asses To make molasses, the cane of a sugar plant is harvested and stripped of its leaves. Its juice is extracted usually by crushing or mashing, but also by cutting. The juice is boiled to concentrate it, which promotes the crystallization of the sugar. The result of this first boiling and of the sugar crystals is first syrup, usually referred to in the Southern states of the USA as cane syrup as opposed to molasses, which has the highest sugar content because comparatively little sugar has been extracted from the source. Second molasses is created from a second boiling and sugar extraction, and has a slight bitter tinge to its taste. The third boiling of the sugar syrup yields blackstrap molasses, known for its robust flavor. The term blackstrap molasses is an Americanism dating from around 1875. The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallized and removed. The food energy content of blackstrap molasses is still mostly from the small remaining sugar content. However, unlike refined sugars, it contains trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of several minerals. Blackstrap molasses is a source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the daily value of each of those nutrients. Blackstrap has long been sold as a health supplement. It is also used in the manufacture of ethyl alcohol for industry and as an ingredient in cattle feed. Molasses made from sugar beet is different from sugarcane molasses. Only the syrup left from the final crystal ligation stage is called molasses; intermediate syrups are referred to as high green and low green, and these are recycled within the crystallization plant to maximize extraction. Beet molasses is about 50% sugar by dry weight, predominantly sucrose, but also contains significant amounts of glucose and fructose. Beet molasses is limited in biotin (vitamin H or B7) for cell growth; hence, it may need to be supplemented with a biotin source. The non-sugar content includes many salts, such as calcium, potassium, oxalate, and chloride. It also contains the compounds betaine and the trisaccharide raffinose. These are either as a result of concentration from the original plant material or as a result of chemicals used in the processing, and make it unpalatable to humans. Hence it is mainly used as an additive to animal feed (called molassed sugar beet feed) or as a fermentation feedstock. Water Hyacinth Anonymous (n. d) The freely floating water hyacinth  (Eichornia sp. ) originally comes from Amazonia but was spread throughout the world since it was used as an ornamental plant for water ponds. Today, this plant is considered as one of the most invasive species and is at the origin of important ecological, social and economical problems. Parts of the lake Alaotra in Madagascar are also covered with this plant, which harms the local flora, fauna and the human population. Therefore, MWC decided to initiate a water hyacinth project. Neola, Jason (n. d) These briquettes may serve as an environment-friendly alternative to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The compact briquette worksite for the Mabolo Charcoal Briquetting Center was inaugurated last March 7, 2011, along with the induction of the officers of Mabolo Entrepreneurs Association and the Tinago Water Hyacinth Handicraft Development Association. Venu, Mukesh (n. d. ) Water hyacinth is a rich resource for obtaining bioethanol, which is a non renewable source of energy and is used as a petrol substitute in road transport vehicles. Its production has been kept limited because bioethanol is commonly derived from food crops, like corn. An increased utilization of food corps and the land used for cultivating the food corps for the production of bioethanol, could damage the economy with food shortage and high prices. But in Kerala, this same potential fuel lies spread endlessly in its coastal water ways. The greatest defect of the plant that of its difficult-to-control growth and spreading, turns around to become its greatest advantage in such a scenario. Anonymous (n. d) Since the water hyacinths are so prolific, harvesting them for industrial use serves also as a means of environmental control. In the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam the water hyacinths stems are used as a braiding material and a source of fibers. Strings of dried fibers are woven or interlinked together to form a braid or cord used for making bags, footwear, wreaths, hats, vases, Christmas lanterns, and more decorative materials. Dried stems are used for baskets and furniture. Water hyacinth fibers are used as a raw material for paper. Anonymous (n. d) The plant is extremely tolerant of, and has a high capacity for, the uptake of heavy metals, including Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb and Hg, which could make it suitable for the biocleaning of industrial wastewater [3], [4], [5],. [6] In addition to heavy metals, Eichhornia crassipes can also remove other toxins, such as cyanide, which is environmentally beneficial in areas that have endured gold mining operations. Anonymous (n. ) A summary of the chemical composition of water hyacinths (fresh, dried and composted) from different geographic regions of the world is presented in Like most other aquatic macrophytes, water hyacinths have very high moisture content; the dry matter generally varies between 5-9 percent. Table 4. 2 indicates that there is little variation in proximate composition in relation to geographic location. Variation, however, does exist between the proximate composition of whole plants and leaves. The crude protein content of the whole plant is about 12-20 percent DM, although a level as low as 9 percent was reported in studies. Gohl (1981) reported that the crude protein of fresh green part of water hyacinths from India and the Philippines was 12. 8-13. 1 percent DM. The crude protein content of leaf meal appears to be higher than the whole plant and varies between 20-23 percent. Rabbits Anonymous (n. d) Rabbits are herbivores that feed by grazing on grass, forbs, and leafy weeds. In consequence, their diet contains large amounts of cellulose, which is hard to digest. Rabbits solve this problem by passing two distinct types of feces: hard droppings and soft black viscous pellets, the latter of which are known as caecotrophs and are immediately eaten (a behaviour known as coprophagy). Rabbits reingest their own droppings (rather than chewing the cud as do cows and many other herbivores) to digest their food further and extract sufficient nutrients. The expected rabbit lifespan is about 9–12 years; the worlds oldest rabbit on record lived 18 years. Anonymous (n. ) Domestic rabbits can be kept as pets in a back yard hutch or indoors in a cage or house trained to have free roam. Rabbits kept indoors are often referred to as house rabbits. House rabbits typically have an indoor pen or cage and a rabbit-safe place to run and exercise, such as an exercise pen, living room or family room. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box and some can learn to come when called. Domestic rabbits that do not live indoors can also serve as companions for thei r owners, typically living in a protected hutch outdoors. Some pet rabbits live in outside hutches during the day for the benefit of fresh air and natural daylight and are brought inside at night. Anonymous (n. d) Rabbits graze heavily and rapidly for roughly the first half hour of a grazing period (usually in the late afternoon), followed by about half an hour of more selective feeding. In this time, the rabbit will also excrete many hard fecal pellets, being waste pellets that will not be reingested. If the environment is relatively non-threatening, the rabbit will remain outdoors for many hours, grazing at intervals. While out of the burrow, the rabbit will occasionally reingest its soft, partially digested pellets; this is rarely observed, since the pellets are reingested as they are produced. Reingestion is most common within the burrow between 8 oclock in the morning and 5 oclock in the evening, being carried out intermittently within that period. Chapter III METHODOLOGY Research Method The food for rabbit from dried water hyacinth leaves mixed with sugarcane molasses was prepared in the following process: * Preparation of the water hyacinth leaves The water hyacinth was harvested from the river. They were washed. The stem, roots, and other remaining parts except the leaves were removed, and then washed again. Afterwards, the leaves are bleached under the scorching sun for about 5-8 days for drying. You can also use a specialized oven made for drying this materials without losing the nutrients inside so you can save time. After drying, cut the dried leaves into very small pieces or grind them using a blender. * Making the sugarcane molasses To make molasses, the cane of a sugar plant is harvested and stripped of its leaves. Its juice is extracted usually by crushing or mashing, but also by cutting. The juice is boiled to concentrate it, which promotes the crystallization of the  sugar. The result of this first boiling and of the sugar crystals is first syrup,  which has the highest sugar content because comparatively little sugar has been extracted from the source. Second molasses is created from a second boiling and sugar extraction, and has a slight bitter tinge to its taste. The third boiling of the sugar syrup yields blackstrap molasses, known for its robust flavor. The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallized and removed. The food energy content of blackstrap molasses is still mostly from the small remaining sugar content. However, unlike refined sugars, it contains trace amounts of  vitamins  and significant amounts of several minerals. Blackstrap molasses is a source of  calcium,  magnesium,  potassium, and  iron; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the daily value of each of those nutrients. Mixing all of the ingredients Mix well the cut or grinded dried water hyacinth leaves and the sugarcane molasses in a bowl, afterwards, from the mixed molasses and dried leaves, make a small pellets in the were the rabbit can eat it easily. After that, let it dry. * Give the feed to the rabbit * Evaluation Evaluate what are the improvements of the rabbit in terms of health, growth, and behavior after eating for several days and compare it to the food that it usually eats.