The quantitative and qualitative rabbit semen characteristics fed with a reference diet and a diet formulated with 79.83% of cassava by-products were evaluated. 20 New Zealand White rabbit bucks, with initial average age of seven months were used, individually allocated and distributed in a completely ramdomized design, with two diets (treatments) and ten replications. The ten semen collections per animal were taken during six months. The evaluated parameters were: semen volume without gel and gel volume, color of semen, pH, spermatic progressive motility, spermatic vigor, spermatic concentration, spermatozoa number in the ejaculation, normal spermatozoa, abnormal and primary and secondary abnormalities spermatozoa. The semen volume without gel, the normal spermatozoa, primary and secondary abnormalities spermatozoa were similar (P>0.05) to the animals fed with cassava by-products diet and reference diet. Other semen parameters were better (P<0.05) in the animals fed with the cassava by-products diet. The results of the quali-quantitative characteristics of the semen from New Zealand White rabbits showed that it is possible to use diets containing 79.83% of inclusion of cassava by-products in the diet of rabbit bucks, without affecting semen characteristics, since we observed the reduced level of tannins and hydrocyanic acid.
cassava meal; cassava up third foliage hay; reproduction