Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Dried Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) Leaves in Diets on Growth Performance of Rabbits. | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 1, Volume 8, Issue 4, April 2017, Page 69-77 PDF (272.06 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2017.45778 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Yasmin M. M. Mahmoud* | ||||
| Anim. Prod. Res. Inst ARC, Ministry of Agric., Dokki, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study was conducted to estimate the effect of different levels of dried chicory leaves (DCL) as feed additives in growing New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit rations on their growth performance, nutrient digestibilities, feeding values, carcass traits, haematological parameters, microbiological and caecal microflora. Fourty eight weaned rabbits at 5 weeks of age and 578g as an average weight were randomly distributed into four similar groups (12 each) using complete randomized block design. The experimental animals of the control group (G1) were fed on a basal diet, while those of the tested ration groups were fed on the basal diet in addition to 0.5% (G2); 1% (G3) and 2% (G4) of their body weight of dried Cichorium intybus leaves. Results indicated that rabbits fed diets supplemented with 1% (DCL) G3 recorded the highest (P<0.05) final body weight (BW) and daily gain, followed by those in G2 that contained 0.5% (DCL), while rabbits in G1 (control) and G4 had the lowest values. However, rabbits fed diets containing (DCL) at 0.5, 1% or 2% led to an insignificant differences in comparison with control diet in respect of daily feed intake. The best feed conversion and feed efficiency values were associated with the tested rations G2 and G3 compared with the poorest one that occurred with the control and G4 diets. Also, nutrient digestion coefficients and feeding values were significantly the highest with G3 in comparison with the control and the other tested diets. Also, pre-slaughter and carcass weights and dressing percentage were significantly the highest with G3-diet compared with the other ones. Edible offal including liver, heart and kidney were behaved the similar trend to that of carcass weight. Likewise, economical efficiency was significant increased with G3 diet being the highest value among all the experimental dietary treatments. It could be concluded that supplemented the CFM with chicory leaves at level 1% in the rations of rabbits led to an improvement in rabbits growth performance. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rabbits; chicory leaves; Growth performance; digestibility; carcass traits; hematological parameters; blood biochemical; caecum microflora | ||||
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