PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF GROWING NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBITS FED DIETS CONTAINING DIFFERENT KINDS OF SILAGE. | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 1, Volume 33, Issue 4, April 2008, Page 2489-2500 PDF (548.14 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2008.217791 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| A. M. A. Mohi-Eldin,; E. H. El-Ganzoury; M. E. Omara; M. M. Shehata | ||||
| Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study aimed to investigate effects of feeding growing rabbits on diets containing different types of silage on their productive performance. A total of 80 NZW weaned rabbits (5 weeks old) was allotted into 5 nearly equal groups, 16 in each group 8 females and 8 males. Rabbits in the 1st group were fed on 100% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and was served as control group as compared to those fed different types of silage (30%) including carrot roots (CRS), carrot tops (CTS), berseem (BS) and corn (CS) silages. Results show that rabbits in all silage groups showed significantly (P<0.05) higher total DM intake than the control group. Digestibility coefficient of CP was higher for CRS, CTS and BS groups than the control group. While, rabbits in CS group was similar to the control group. The differences were significant (P<0.05) only between CR and each of CS and control groups. Values of OM, CF and NFE digestion were significantly (P<0.05) the lowest in BS as compared to the other groups. While digestion of EE was not affected significantly by dietary treatment. Rabbits in all groups showed insignificant differences in N-balance, being positive in all groups. Feeding rabbits on silage diets did not affect total protein and there fractions in blood plasma. However, a significant (P<0.05) increase was recorded in globulin concentration. There were no significant differences in LBW and feed conversion of growing rabbits at all feeding intervals. the effect of dietary treatment on average daily gain (ADG) of rabbits was significant (P<0.05) only during the interval from 11-16 weeks of age, being the highest in BS group and the lowest in CT group (14.1 and 11.9 g/day, respectively). Most carcass traits were not affected by dietary treatments. Content of DM in rabbit meat significantly (P<0.05) increased in all silage groups than the control group. However, contents of CP, EE and ash did not differ significantly in all silage groups than the control group. Rabbits fed CRS or CTS diets lowered total feed cost as compared to the other silage groups. In conclusion, introducing 30% silage in diets resulted in increasing growth and economic feed efficiency of rabbits, being the highest for CRS and CTS groups. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rabbit; silage; growth performance; blood components and digestibility | ||||
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