The productive performance of rabbits was evaluated on diets of alfalfa meal and tropical forages. The results showed that rabbits can utilize high forage diets with little or no cereal grain. Several tropical legumes (Desmodium distortum, Macroptilium lathyroides, Clitoria ternata and Cassia tora) have the same feeding value for weanling rabbits as alfalfa meal. Rabbits have potential as meat producing animals when fed high roughage diets under tropical and subtropical conditions.