Response of Weanling Rabbits to Diet Contained Citric Acid During Growing Period | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 1, Volume 11, Issue 3, March 2020, Page 67-71 PDF (527.82 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2020.87112 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
Noha T. H. Tag-El-Din 
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| Animal Prod. Dept., Fac. Agric., Damietta Univ., Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary CA as feed additive on growth performance and nutrient digestibility as well as economic efficiency of rabbits during fattening period. Sixty unsexed NZW aged 35 days were randomly distributed into equal five groups. The control group was fed on the basal diet without CA addition. The groups from 2 to 5 were fed on diets contained 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% CA, respectively at 6-11 wks. of age. Rabbits fed diet contained 1.5 and 2.0% CA had heavier (P>0.05) live body weight at 11 wks of age, and higher daily weight gain during the whole experimental period as compared with the control group. Moreover, rabbits fed diet contained 1.5% CA recorded a significant (P≤0.05) improvement in FCR than the control group at 6-11 wks. of age. Crude fiber digestibility was significantly enhanced for rabbits fed different CA diets than the control, while both DM, OM and CP digestibility coefficients were improved by feeding diets contained CA at 1.5 and 2.0% than the control without significant effects. Feeding economic efficiency revealed the best value for rabbits fed 1.5 % CA diet than other groups at 11 wks. of age. Therefore, CA at 1.5% in the diet may be an alternative feed additive to maximize productivity and profitability without adverse effects for fattening rabbits. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| rabbits; citric acid; performance; nutrients utilization | ||||
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