EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH BETAINE, THYME OIL AND THEIR MIXTURES ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF GROWING RABBITS | ||||
| Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research | ||||
| Article 16, Volume 46, Issue 3, May and June 2019, Page 815-828 PDF (395.85 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/zjar.2019.40971 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Ahmed E. Abd El-Azeem  ; Adham A. Al-Sagheer; A. H. Daader; S. M. Bassiony
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| Anim. Prod. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The present experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with betaine (BET) and thyme oil (THY) and their mixtures (MIX) on nutrients digestibility, caecum characteristics, growth performance, carcass traits, and economic efficiency of growing rabbits. A total number of 72 growing New Zealand white (NZW) male rabbits, 5-week-old and with average weight 616±7.82 g were divided into 9 experimental groups. The control group was fed a basal diet without supplementation (T1), whereas the other groups were fed the same basal diet supplemented with 1500 mg BET (T2), 750 mg BET (T3), 1000 mg THY (T4), 500 mg THY (T5), 1500 mg BET + 1000 mg THY (T6), 1500 mg BET+500 mg THY (T7), 750 mg BET + 1000 mg THY (T8), 750 mg BET + 500 mg THY (T9). The experimental period extended for 8 weeks. The results indicated that feed dry matter digestibility and digestible energy were significantly (P<0.05) improved with rabbit fed T2, T3, T4, T6, and T9 diets. In contrast, a significant (P<0.001) decrease in total volatile fatty acids and ammonia-N concentration of cecum content was recorded with rabbits fed T4, T5, T7, T8 and T9 diets compared with (T1) those fed the control diet. Feed intake, hematological parameters, and carcass traits were not significant (P<0.05) affected by dietary supplementation. Daily weight gain was significantly (P<0.001) increased in rabbit fed the supplemented diets except those fed T8 diet. Feed conversion ratio and economic efficiency recorded the best results with rabbits fed T2, T4 and T6 diets. Dietary supplementation with 1500 mg betaine or 1000 mg thyme oil/kg diet or mixture of theme with the same levels are recommended to improve the feed utilization and growth performance parameters and health status of NZW rabbits. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rabbits; Thyme oil; Betaine; Growth performance; digestibility; Carcasses; economic efficiency | ||||
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