GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF RABBITS FED DATE PITS IN NORTH SINAI | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 6, Volume 4, Issue 5, May 2013, Page 321-333 PDF (575.5 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2013.71339 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| M. R. M. Mousa | ||||
| Dept. of Animal Production, Fac. of Environmental Agric. Sci., Suez Canal University, El-Arish, North Sinai, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The present research was designed to study the effects of partial replacement of barley grains by ground date pits (GDP) in the diets of growing rabbits on growth performance, digestibility coefficients of nutrients, some blood constituents, carcass traits and economical efficiency of growing rabbits. Thirty six weaned New Zealand White rabbits were divided into three groups (12 rabbits/ group). They were assigned to receive three treatments in which ground date Pits replaced 0, 20 or 30% of barley grains. Carcass traits and blood metabolites were determined by slaughtering 5 rabbits from each group at the end of the growth trial (6 weeks). The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and crude fiber significantly (P<0.05) decreased with increasing GDP level (up to 30%). Daily weight gain, feed intake, carcass weight, dressing percentage were not significantly (P≥0.05) affected by (GDP). Serum total protein, albumin and globulin significantly (P<0.05) decreased with increasing GDP up to 30%. Serum glucose, cholesterol, urea-N, SAST and SALT were insignificantly (P≥0.05) affected with GDP inclusion. Rabbits fed diets containing GDP recorded lower feed costs to produce one kg gain. Accordingly, ground date pits could be used successively and safely in feeding growing rabbits up to 30% without adverse effects on growth performance and carcass traits as well as reducing feed cost in North Sinai. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rabbits; Date pits; Growth performance; carcass traits; blood metabolites | ||||
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