Feeding programmes based on highly-digestible fibre weaning diets: Effects on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in rabbits

Abstract

The effect of three different dietary programmes on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in young rabbits weaned at 28d was studied using a diet (F) rich in highly-digestible fibre, from 17 to 63d of age (group FF); using diet F from 17 to 42d followed by a diet poor in highly-digestible fibre and rich in starch and fat (S) until 63d (group FS); and using a standard diet C with intermediate highly-digestible fibre and starch content, containing 100ppm of zinc-bacitracin, from 17 to 63d (group CC). A highly-digestible fibre diet could be useful to reduce the incidence of digestive disorders. However, it decreased slaughter weight (2294g in FF vs. 2406g in CC; P<0.05) and carcass and meat traits, e.g. dressing out percentage (55.4% in FF vs. 56.7% in CC; P<0.05), meat to bone ratio (5.73 in FF vs. 5.94 in CC; P<0.05) and hind leg fat content (3.81% in FF vs. 4.71% in CC; P<0.05) at 63d of age. Switching to a high starch and fat diet at late fattening improved chilled carcass weight at 63d of age (1339g in FS vs. 1263g in FF; P<0.05) mainly through the promotion of liver development (7.53% in group FS vs. 6.47% in group FF; P<0.05) and fat deposition (3.89% in FS vs. 2.63% in FF; P<0.05), and increased hind leg fat content (+1.2 points of fat percentage; P<0.05). However, this switch increased health risk (35.1% in FS vs. 17.6% in FF; P<0.05).