Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LX (1)
Written by Rosalie BĂLĂCEANU DOJANĂ, C. SAVU
The aim of this study was to investigated the effects of a different vegetal fiber diet on the daily gain and quality of rabbit carcass. Thus, four random groups of domestic rabbits aged 11 weeks were fed for 20 days with diets enriched in different percentages of vegetal fibers (wheat straw): 11% (control group) 14% (group A), 23% (group B) and, respectively, 33% (group C).. The average daily gain of the control group was 50.2 g /capita/day. The experimental groups showed a descending trend in the average of daily gain compared with control of 55.2 g (group A), 52.0 g (group B) and, respectively, 49.4 g/capita/day (group C), P=0.2877 . Gastrointestinal mass weight (calculated as percent from the living mass) was 22.2% in the control group, 21.4% in the group A,24.4% in the group B, respectively, 24.9% in the group C. With regard to dressing percentage, it was found that in the case of rabbit control group, dressing percentage amounted to a value of 58.9 ± 8.0%. In the experimental groups, the dressing percentage values were 59.50%, 56.5% and, respectively, 55.9% (P=0.0639). Total dissectible fat amounted to 2.03% of whole carcass in group A (P=0.0822), 1.77% in group B (P=0.0549) and 1.70 % in group C (P=0.0320), while in the control, this value amounted to 1.86%. Meat/bone ratio of the control group was 4.98. In the experimental groups the values of meat/bone ratio were 5.62 (P=0.0023), 4.87 and, respectively, 4.44, decreasing proportional with the increase in the fiber percentage of the diet. Moderate supplementation of the fiber percentage in the rabbit diets can increase the average daily gain and the percentage of dissectible fat and the meat / bone ratio, but fiber percentage of the diet (23% or over) is followed by lower average daily gain, decreased dressing percentage, decreased dissectible fat and meat / bone ratio.
[Read full article] [Citation]
rabbit carcass
